Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Upsets Texas

Commodores remain a No. 2 seed in NCAA tournament projections despite dominant win

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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Vanderbilt women's basketball team dominated Texas from the start, leading by 12 points after the first quarter and by as many as 26 points before ultimately winning 86-70 in a matchup of No. 1 seed hopefuls. The loss was the Longhorns' second-largest regular-season defeat in the last five years.

Why it matters

Vanderbilt's upset victory over the highly ranked Texas team solidifies their standing as a top contender for a No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAA women's basketball tournament, despite the lopsided nature of the win.

The details

Vanderbilt jumped out to an early 12-point lead after the first quarter and extended their advantage to as many as 26 points over the course of the game. Texas, who was also vying for a potential No. 1 seed, suffered their second-largest regular-season loss in the past five years with the 86-70 defeat.

  • The game was played on Thursday, February 17, 2026.

The players

Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Team

The Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, who pulled off the upset victory over the highly ranked Texas Longhorns.

Texas Longhorns Women's Basketball Team

The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team, who suffered a lopsided defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt and saw their hopes for a potential No. 1 NCAA tournament seed take a hit.

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The takeaway

Vanderbilt's dominant performance against a fellow top contender solidifies their standing as a team to watch heading into the NCAA women's basketball tournament, despite the loss not impacting their projected seeding.