Texas women's basketball takes on Ole Miss in SEC Tournament quarterfinals

Will the Longhorns move on to the next round of the SEC Tourney?
Mar 2, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns celebrate being co-SEC regular-season champions after their victory over the Florida Gators at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Mar 2, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns celebrate being co-SEC regular-season champions after their victory over the Florida Gators at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas women's basketball found out its opponent for its first SEC Tournament game on Thursday night. Texas will take on the Ole Miss Rebels in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament on Friday in a game that fans are excited about.

The Longhorns should be well rested and ready to compete after their final regular season game on Sunday. Even though they didn't win the coin toss against South Carolina, to be the No. 2 seed in the tournament is still an honor.

In the last matchup against Ole Miss, the Longhorns learned that you can never underestimate your opponent. The Longhorns had to fight back in the second half to beat the Rebels in their previous matchup. I expect the Longhorns will respect the Rebels and be more prepared for them this time. Let's take a look at each team, and the Rebels players, to keep an eye on as the Longhorns look to win their first-ever SEC Tournament game:

Texas women's basketball: Taking a look at the Ole Miss Rebels

For those who did not watch yesterday's game, the Rebels beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 85-73. It was a good game for the Ole Miss Rebels. The team stats from yesterday show that it was a pretty even game between both sides. The only difference was that the Rebels scored more points off their turnovers than the Bulldogs. Texas has to be careful when handling the ball later tonight. Ole Miss showed they can punish you for turning over the ball.

Rebels Senior guard Kennedy Todd-Williams finished the game with 20 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Madison Scott finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Freshman guard Sira Thienou came off the bench and provided 13 points and five rebounds for the Rebels.

Texas women's basketball: Taking a look at the Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns are coming into the tournament off an impressive first season as a member of the SEC. With Vic Schaefer recently being named SEC Coach of the Year and Sophomore forward Madison Booker winning SEC Player of the Year, the sky is the limit for the Longhorns winning the tournament.

A lot of pressure will be on Booker entering tonight's game because she was named the Conference Player of the Year. Schaefer will talk to her to calm her down if she gets flustered against the Rebels tonight.

Rori Harmon and Taylor Jones are other key players, and the Longhorns must show up tonight. Harmon needs to show why she was named to the All-SEC defensive team. Her ball-handling skills and ability to force turnovers will be key in whether the Longhorns advance to the semifinals.

Jones is the other player the Longhorns need to show up tonight. Jones has been a force on the boards for the Longhorns this season. Most of the time, games have come down to how well she's been able to rebound the ball and score at the rim.

The Rebels will probably try to double-team her in the paint tonight. Schaefer must have a set of plays in which Jones can thrive at the rim with scoring in the paint. It's going to be a great basketball game tonight.

Schedule

Schedule