In a thrilling matchup on December 21, 2025, the Texas Longhorns secured a decisive 70-51 victory over South Dakota State, thanks in large part to Jordan Lee's impressive performance, which included 17 points and four steals. This game marked an exciting chapter in their home-and-home series, a decision made by Coach Vic Schaefer to fill out last season's schedule with the formidable Summit League team.
Unlike their previous encounter, where Texas overwhelmed South Dakota State with a staggering 103-57 score, this game proved to be much more competitive. Texas, now boasting a perfect record of 14-0, maintained an eight-point lead midway through the third quarter against the Jackrabbits, who currently stand at 10-4. A late surge from Madison Booker, who scored six points within the final five minutes of the third quarter, allowed Texas to extend their advantage to 49-34 by the end of the period.
Booker had a standout game overall, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds, though her shooting was less than stellar, hitting just 7 of 20 attempts from the field. Rori Harmon contributed significantly as well, adding 11 points and dishing out seven assists. Notably, in her last five games, Harmon has recorded an impressive 51 assists while committing only four turnovers—a statistic that underscores her playmaking efficiency.
On the other side, Brooklyn Meyer emerged as South Dakota State's leading scorer with 20 points, exploiting the foul troubles of Texas centers Breya Cunningham and Kyla Oldacre during the match. Mahli Abdouch also contributed 10 points for the Jackrabbits, but unfortunately, his efforts were overshadowed by his 11 turnovers, which were part of the team’s total of 23.
Despite missing key starters Katie Vasecka and Emilee Fox, both sidelined for the fifth consecutive game due to lower-body injuries, South Dakota State remained competitive for nearly three quarters. For Texas, Justice Carlton was absent due to an upper-body injury, while backup point guard Bryanna Preston made her return after a nine-game hiatus due to a sprained ankle, scoring nine points and providing four assists in just 11 minutes on the court.
Looking ahead, South Dakota State will host St. Thomas on January 1, whereas Texas is set to welcome Southeastern Louisiana on December 28.
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