‘I love this stuff!’ — Vic Schaefer’s all wound up and his Longhorns are dialed in after incredible win over Lady Vols

Longhorns move to 5-1 in SEC play as Madison Booker, Taylor Jones put away Lady Vols

Brian Davis
Add as preferred source on Google
Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During a late timeout Thursday, Texas coach Vic Schaefer heard the Moody Center roaring, looked at his team and shouted, “I love this stuff!”

Aaliyah Moore gave him some side-eye in the press conference. “Oh, you said stuff?? Is that what he said?” Madison Booker and Taylor Jones nearly fell out of the chairs laughing.

“I just told ’em, I love it!,” Schaefer added.

Monday’s 38-point blowout over No. 8 Maryland was interesting stuff, but Thursday’s 80-76 thriller over No. 17 Tennessee was incredible stuff. Schaefer’s all wound up, his Longhorns are dialed in and there’s plenty of room on the bandwagon as No. 7 Texas looks ready to floor it through the SEC.

WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE: Follow A to Z Sports’ Texas Longhorns channel on YouTube.

This was a high-level affair, as both teams shot 50% on the nose. Bevo was holding court outside the arena, and Matthew McConaughey was ministering the culture inside it. The crowd of 7,530 knew this was something special being blasted nationwide on ESPN.

“I just think this team is coming together,” said Booker, the reigning SEC player of the week. She pumped in a season-high 28 against the Terps and poured in 26 more against the Lady Vols. Taylor Jones had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Moore had 11 points and Jordan Lee scored 10 critical points coming off the bench.

Texas (19-2, 5-1 SEC) is cooking because it’s got veteran execution in critical situations against a team that’s capable of steamrolling just about anybody.

Take the inbound play with just over two minutes left, for example. Trailing 72-70, the Horns almost didn’t get the ball in. Booker’s trigger pass went high to Taylor, and the play started breaking down. Jones slipped the ball to Rori Harmon who then fired it to Moore for a game-tying layup, easy-peasy.

“I got it and then swung it back, and we knew that she was going to be able to go to work in there,” Jones said, “so she did.”

Said Moore: “Our high-low is money, if I’m being honest with you.”

Then on the other end, Tennessee (15-4, 3-4) had an inbound play on the baseline that all went to, as Schaefer would say, stuff. Booker stole the inbound pass, raced coast to coast for a layup and Texas had a 74-72 lead.

Booker was so excited that she danced a little jig and threw up double “Hook ’em” hand signs for a brief moment. “It was more proud of my team,” Booker said of her celebratory burst.

“My mindset is two things, shooter’s shoot and let go, let God,” Booker said. “And that's how I'm playing right now.”

On the next possession, Booker came down and tried a 16-footer that bounced long. Taylor, being the veteran she is, was in perfect position on the opposite block and in the perfect spot for the put-back bucket.

“Just showing up, doing whatever my team needs me to do is just what I try to do,” Taylor said.

Booker connected again with 27 seconds left, and Harmon put down two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to finish it off.

Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell had to be throwing stuff at the TV back in Knoxville. She stayed home to welcome the birth of their son, Conor Scott Caldwell. The university announced that that “Mom, dad and baby are doing well” having welcomed a new Volunteer.

Meanwhile in Austin, Tennessee assistant coach Jenna Burdette let out a deep sigh and said, “Second chance points, 25-5. You know, you’re not going to win playing like that.”

Schaefer knows he’s going to win a lot more games if the Longhorns are playing like this.

Climb aboard and hold on tight. This stuff’s about to get real interesting.

“There’s slot of kids that won’t function in that environment,” Schaefer said. “These kids, they thrive in that.”

Related Articles