Texas Longhorns Cruise Past Kentucky, Advance to Elite Eight

Rori Harmon leads the way as Texas women's basketball team secures another trip to the regional final

Mar. 29, 2026 at 12:49am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic action of a women's basketball game, with overlapping shapes and planes in shades of orange, blue, and green conveying the intensity and energy of the matchup.The Texas Longhorns' aggressive, up-tempo style overwhelmed Kentucky in the Sweet 16, setting up a showdown with Michigan for a trip to the Final Four.Fort Worth Today

The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 76-54 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Rori Harmon, a 5-foot-6 senior point guard, had an all-around dominant performance with 11 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 6 steals to lead the Longhorns. Texas jumped out to a 15-0 run to start the game and never looked back, advancing to the Elite Eight for the third straight year.

Why it matters

The Longhorns are one win away from returning to the women's Final Four for the second consecutive season. Led by the veteran leadership of Rori Harmon, Texas has emerged as one of the top contenders for the national championship after reaching the Final Four last year for the first time since 2003.

The details

Harmon set the tone early, recording 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals by halftime. The Longhorns finished the game with a 20-0 advantage in fast-break points, with 14 of those coming in the first half when they built a 48-26 lead. Texas has won its three NCAA tournament games so far by a combined margin of 106 points.

  • Texas jumped out to a 15-0 run to start the game in the first quarter.

The players

Rori Harmon

A 5-foot-6 senior point guard for the Texas Longhorns who had an all-around dominant performance with 11 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 6 steals to lead her team to the Elite Eight.

Jordan Lee

A Texas Longhorns player who scored 18 points in the win over Kentucky.

Madison Booker

An All-America forward for the Texas Longhorns who had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Clara Strack

The 6-foot-5 center for the Kentucky Wildcats who led her team with 16 points.

Vic Schaefer

The sixth-year head coach of the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, the urgency that I play with is that when you lose right now you're done, so that's constantly in my mind. There has to be a certain urgency and intensity that we play with to not let any team try to work their way back or anything. I think that's how we came out today.”

— Rori Harmon, Texas Longhorns Senior Point Guard

“I thought Rori was really special on the ball. I just love how we opened the game. I love how we came out ready to go. I love how we defended the first half. I just thought we were really, really locked in. Our transition was obviously very good early, and now that was off of our defense.”

— Vic Schaefer, Texas Longhorns Head Coach

“They were on a different planet today, especially that first quarter. They came out and they were aggressive. They play right to the rules. The rules allow a certain level of physicality. They play right to it. They don't go over it. They play right to it. Today, I thought they did a tremendous job of pushing us off of our mark.”

— Kenny Brooks, Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach

What’s next

The Texas Longhorns will face the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the Fort Worth Regional 3 final on Monday night, with a trip to the women's Final Four on the line.

The takeaway

Texas has emerged as a national title contender, reaching the Elite Eight for the third straight year and one win away from returning to the Final Four. Led by the veteran leadership of Rori Harmon, the Longhorns have the experience and talent to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.