Others stole the show on senior day, but the Texas Longhorns won in dominant fashion to claim their first-ever SEC title.
Texas Longhorns guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) looks for an opening around Florida Gators guard Laila Reynolds (13) in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025 at the Moody Center in Austin.
Texas Longhorns guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) looks for an opening around Florida Gators guard Laila Reynolds (13) in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025 at the Moody Center in Austin. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman /
The No. 1 Texas Longhorns started Sunday’s home game down 8-1 to the Florida Gators but went on a 10-0 run and never looked back in a 72-46 win. Despite some back and forth, the Longhorns would pull away from the Gators thanks to a 25-point third quarter.
On senior day, junior Kyla Oldacre stole the show, scoring a game-high 18 points. She was unstoppable around the basket, shooting 6-9 from the floor and 6-8 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists.
Madison Booker drives to the basket against Florida
Mar 2, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) drives to the basket against Florida Gators guard Jeriah Warren (20) during the first half at Moody Center.
Junior Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda also had a big game, scoring 11 points for her third-straight game scoring in double-digits. Sophomore guard Madison Booker added 14 points of her own but got into foul trouble, leading to her sitting for most of the third quarter.
Seniors Taylor Jones, Shay Holle and Rori Harmon combined for just 15 points but Harmon dished out nine assists. The freshman saw significant playing time in the final regular season game, with Bryanna Preston, Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton showing the future of what Texas basketball will look like in the future.
Texas dominated the Gators defensively, holding them to just 1-18 from behind the arc and 33% shooting overall. The Longhorns forced 23 turnovers while only turning the ball over 11 times. 11 of the Florida turnovers were steals by Texas and despite being out-rebounded by the Gators, the Longhorns dominated the paint.
The Longhorns were honored as SEC regular season champions after the game, winning the title in their first season in the league
Now, after South Carolina beat Kentucky, the fate of the No. 1 seed will be left to the coin toss in Birmingham. At the halftime of the LSU and Ole Miss game, the coin toss will be televised on SEC Network.
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