AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 3 Texas pulled away from No. 8 Kentucky in the second half to claim a 67-49 win Thursday in Southeastern Conference women’s basketball action at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington.
Texas outscored the Wildcats 24-10 in the third quarter to turn an 8-point halftime lead into 22 points, and then held off a fourth-quarter Kentucky rally to put the game away. Kyla Oldacre knocked down six of her nine free throws in the third quarter and finished with 19 points on 5 of 9 shooting with seven rebounds. Madison Booker also had 19 points with eight rebounds and four assists while Taylor Jones chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds.
Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer referred to Oldacre and Jones as “his two monsters” down low following a win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 6, and they were huge again against the Wildcats.
“(Kyla) and Taylor have gotten better, and that’s the big thing,” he said. “They’re big factors for us.”
-
Texas’ Taylor Jones (44) shoots while pressured by Kentucky’s Clara Strack (13) during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Madison Booker (35) looks for an opening on Kentucky’s Teonni Key, left, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Taylor Jones (44) shoots while defended by Kentucky’s Clara Strack (13) during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer questions a call during an NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks, left, and Georgia Amoore, right, look on during an NCAA college basketball game against Texas in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Madison Booker (35) looks for an opening in the Kentucky defense during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Madison Booker (35) shoots while pressured by Kentucky’s Amelia Hassett, back, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Madison Booker, top, shoots while pressured by Kentucky’s Teonni Key (7) during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Shay Holle (10) shoots while pressured by Kentucky’s Amelia Hassett (32) during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore (3) shoots while defended by Texas’ Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) and Shay Holle, right, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore, middle, is fouled by Texas’ Rori Harmon, right, as Shay Holle, left, defends during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Taylor Jones (44) shoots while defended by Kentucky’s Teonni Key, left, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Rori Harmon (3) shoots while defended by Kentucky’s Amelia Hassett, right, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Jordan Lee, left, drives near Kentucky’s Teonni Key, right, during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer yells to his team during an NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp) -
Texas’ Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, left, defends Kentucky’s Teonni Key (7) during an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)
Texas dominated the paint, scoring 42 points in the area to Kentucky’s 24, and the Longhorns scored 20 points off 17 turnovers. Kentucky forced 10 turnovers but converted those into just two points. Texas outrebounded the Wildcats 45-28 including 20-5 on the offensive end.
“Defense, rebounding, inside game. That’s the magic formula to win on the road,” Schaefer said. “We did that tonight. Our defense was off the chart tonight.”
Texas held Kentucky to its lowest scoring output of the season. The Wildcats went into the game averaging 78 points per game and it was the first time they didn’t score at least 50 points. Kentucky shot 20% (3-for-15) from long range when they typically shoot 33%. Overall, the Wildcats were way below average from the field, connecting on 17 of 49 attempts for 35%. Kentucky came into the game shooting 46%.
MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters
The Longhorns didn’t have their best shooting night, either. They lead the SEC in field goal shooting percentage at 48% this season but shot 38%, making 26 of 68 attempts.
For Kentucky, Georgia Amoore scored 14 points and Teonni Key notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Dazia Lawrence scored 11. Kentucky went on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns responded with a 10-0 run of their own with Booker scoring eight
Texas (25-2, 11-1 SEC) has won nine consecutive games and hosts No. 5 LSU on Sunday. Kentucky (19-4, 8-3) hosts Georgia on Sunday.
There’s never a day off in the SEC, and if the Longhorns can find a way to get by the Tigers, that will conclude an impressive yet mentally taxing set of games.
“We’re in the midst of this monster stretch where we’ve had our fourth top-20 game, the third top-10 game, on Sunday,” Schaefer said. “It’s concerning for me. I’m really in tune with my players and listening to them tell me how they feel, but their toughness was on full display tonight.”
