Ole Miss' first-half turnovers are costly as Texas reaches the SEC Championship

Texas women's basketball had a great game last night, showcasing why they deserved a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While I'm sure some of the ladies would really like to celebrate that win some more, it's a quick turnaround in the SEC Conference Tournament.

It was a close first half yesterday as Ole Miss kept up with the Longhorns despite all their turnovers. Texas floored it past the Rebels in the fourth quarter, 85-68, to advance to the SEC Conference Tournament Final this afternoon. If there is one thing that Ole Miss can take away from the game, it's not turning the ball over constantly.

Here are four takeaways from tonight's win against the Rebels.

1. Not totally surprised on how tight the beginning of the game was

When the Longhorns got their offense going in the first quarter, I thought we were about to have another episode of Friday's game. However, Ole Miss kept it close, and this game was not going to be a repeat of the first-half blowout against Alabama. The Rebels were coming off their upset of Vanderbilt, and I'm sure they wanted another one last night. However, the Rebels ran into a Texas team that wanted to settle the score with South Carolina.

2. Texas loves to force turnovers

Texas was forcing turnovers left and right in the first half, and watching Madison Booker force the turnover and convert easy layups is one of the many reasons why the Longhorns were victorious over the Rebels. The Longhorns ultimately finished the game with 15 points off turnovers.

If the Longhorns want to beat South Carolina today, they need to score off the Gamecocks' turnovers. It's the only way you are going to be able to beat Dawn Staley and her elite team.

3. Kyla Oldacre stepped up on offense

Booker was not going to carry Texas on her back against the Ole Miss Rebels. Someone else had to step up to the plate and help her out on offense. Kyla Oldacre definitely did that, and she was also a force on the boards as well.

Her 19 points and 8 rebounds really helped out the Longhorns in the second half. If Oldacre didn't show up yesterday, the Longhorns would be headed back to Austin.

4. Effort in the second half needs work

Texas is going to get bounced from the NCAA Tournament quickly if they continue to play as it did in the second half against Ole Miss. They had a nice lead and looked like they were going to increase it heading into the fourth quarter. However, a 9-0 run at the end of the third allowed the Rebels to get within two points. Might as well hand South Carolina the SEC Title today if that's the way they are going to play.