Tennessee
Texas
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (02/14/2026) — The Texas Longhorns survived a frantic fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Tennessee Lady Volunteers to secure a hard-fought 65-63 SEC victory on the road Saturday in front of 13,351 fans at the Food City Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The contest was a game of runs. Texas built a 14-point lead with an 18-2 surge that spanned the late first and early second quarters. [5] The Lady Volunteers stormed back, however, closing the first half on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 34-34 heading into the locker room. [5, 9]
The Longhorns methodically built another lead in the second half, going up by as many as 10 points midway through the final quarter. [5] But Tennessee, fueled by a spectacular individual performance, refused to fade. A barrage of late 3-pointers from the Lady Volunteers closed the gap to a single point in the final minutes, setting up a dramatic conclusion. [5, 9]
TURNING POINT
With Texas clinging to a one-point lead, Madison Booker calmly sank two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to extend the margin to 64-61. [5, 14] Tennessee's Talaysia Cooper quickly answered with a driving layup to cut the deficit back to one. After Texas's Jordan Lee made one of two free throws, the Lady Volunteers had a final possession with a chance to tie or win. [5, 9] However, a critical turnover sealed their fate as Cooper had the ball stripped as time expired, allowing the Longhorns to escape with the win. [5, 14]
STAR OF THE GAME
While Talaysia Cooper was the game's high scorer with a season-high 29 points for the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, the victory was a team effort for Texas. [14] Madison Booker led a balanced Longhorns attack with 14 points, including the crucial late-game free throws. [5, 8] Jordan Lee and Rori Harmon were also instrumental, each contributing 12 points for the victors. [8, 9] For Tennessee, Janiah Barker added 12 points and Nya Robertson chipped in with 11. [5, 9]
WHAT IT MEANS
For the Texas Longhorns, this is a significant conference road win against a ranked opponent, bolstering their position in the SEC standings. The ability to withstand multiple rallies in a hostile environment demonstrates the team's resilience. For the Tennessee Lady Volunteers, the loss is a tough one to swallow, especially given the comeback effort. The 23 turnovers proved costly, negating a strong shooting performance and ultimately being the difference in a tightly contested game.