Lady Vols basketball will face a top-five team for a third straight Sunday on national television.
No. 22 Tennessee (16-6, 8-2 SEC) hosts No. 4 Texas (23-3, 8-3) on Feb. 15 (3 p.m. ET, ABC). The Lady Vols are coming off a 45-point win over Missouri on Feb. 12, while the Longhorns lost their last game, falling 86-70 at Vanderbilt.
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The last time Tennessee faced Texas was in the NCAA Sweet 16 in March, and the Lady Vols lost 67-59.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Vic Schaefer benches Rori Harmon again
Rori Harmon is one of the best point guards in the nation, especially on defense, and she’s the undisputed leader of the Longhorns. But Texas coach Vic Schaefer has benched the fifth-year senior twice recently.
Harmon didn’t play the final 12 minutes of Texas’ first loss of the season at LSU, which was a narrow 70-65 defeat. Harmon scored just two points on 1-for-7 shooting, three assists, two turnovers and no steals in 28 minutes.
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At Vanderbilt, Schaefer didn’t play Harmon the final 15 minutes, and she only played 18 total. She had five points on 2-for-5 shooting, one rebound, two assists, two turnovers and no steals for only the second time in SEC play and third time this season.
Harmon rebounded the first time and had a strong performance against South Carolina right after the LSU loss.
Texas has depth behind Madison Booker, Jordan Lee
Madison Booker, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, leads Texas averaging 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals. Sophomore guard Jordan Lee took a leap as a scorer this season, averaging 13.3 points as Texas’ best 3-point shooter.
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But the Longhorns have so much depth behind them and Harmon. Freshman guard Aaliyah Crump averages 11.5 points and senior center Kyla Oldacre averages 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Tennessee will have its hands full defensively, inside the paint and on the perimeter.
Can Lady Vols have strong outing vs. top-5 opponent?
The last two Sundays, Tennessee has gotten blown out by historic margins.
On Feb. 1, the Lady Vols lost 96-66 to No. 1 UConn, which was the second-largest margin of defeat in program history at the time. On Feb. 8, UT was crushed 93-50 at No. 3 South Carolina, which set the record for largest margin of defeat in program history.
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An upset would do wonders for Tennessee’s tournament resume, but even playing close with a top-five opponent will help. The Lady Vols have to prove they’re turning a corner and can compete with great teams.
Mia Pauldo injury status unclear for Texas
Mia Pauldo missed her first game of the season when Tennessee beat Missouri on Feb. 12.
Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell didn’t have an update on her status after the game, but said she hoped they could get Pauldo back for Texas.
The freshman point guard has been crucial to Tennessee’s success. She averages 11.6 points, which went up to 14.4 in SEC play, along with 2.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Pauldo is the Lady Vols’ best ball handler and 3-point shooter, and they need her back as soon as possible.
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Lady Vols vs Texas prediction
Texas 78, Tennessee 66: This feels like an impossible prediction given where both teams are at, and the matchup feels like it will come down to which team shows up to win. The Lady Vols should be competitive, but I’m not sure they turned the corner enough to pull off the upset.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs Texas prediction. Who will win SEC matchup?
