For a man who chases wins like a moth chases a flame and who abhors losses like a gambler with his life at stake, Texas women’s basketball head coach Vic Schaefer was digging the moment.
“I love this shit,” Schaefer told his team at the third-quarter media timeout.
Down by one, with the 7,500 fans chanting “We are Texas,” the Schaefer effect was in full blossom. And in No. 7 Texas’ 80–76 win against No. 17 Tennessee at the Moody Center, the building was rocking.
“We were in Cooley, and we maybe had four fans,” senior forward Aaliyah Moore said, reflecting on her time as a freshman in 2021. “It’s insane to play in a building like Moody and have it packed out, have the fans there the students. So, I just want to say ‘Thank you’ to them.”
The epitome of the night came when senior forward Taylor Jones, after going down with a shoulder injury, checked back into the game with 46 seconds left and her Texas squad up 76–74. The two squads went back and forth in the second that ensued. Tennessee bucket, Texas two, Tennessee two more. Texas back in front.
All of a sudden, with the Moody Center at the top of its summit and Texas up by two, Tennessee airballed a go-ahead three and Jones grabbed the game-sealing bucket. An injured senior Longhorn, with 21 points and 14 rebounds already to her name, cemented the remarkable night.
“I think the kid’s pretty tough,” Schaefer said. “She probably deserves to go to bed tonight and not have to get up early.”
This chemistry in the team is strong. Freshman guard Bryanna Preston gassed up Moore in the huddle, with freshman forward Justice Carlton and freshman guard Jordan Lee screaming praise at each other on every basket. Even sophomore forward Madison Booker, on a big steal, was dancing when she got the chance. Whether someone plays 40 minutes or keeps their shoes off, everyone makes an impact on this squad — a positive one at that.
“Just celebrating kids having fun,” Schaefer said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
With a 19–2 record, Texas ranks No. 7 in the Associated Press poll. After back-to-back ranked wins against No. 8 Maryland and No. 17 Tennessee, both numbers are destined to climb.
And that, itself, is pretty damn noisy.
“It’s awesome to see the crowd behind it,” UT president Jay Hartzell said. “We have a great team this year.”
