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No. 4 Texas’ bid for the second undefeated season in program history ended on Jan. 12 when the Longhorns were beaten, 70-65, by then No. 12-LSU in Baton Rouge.
The result wasn’t a total shocker, but how it unfolded was surprising. Rori Harmon, the super senior point guard so trusted by head coach Vic Schaefer, wasn’t on the court during winning time for Texas. In fact, Harmon did not return to the game after she exited with over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Harmon’s resume suggests Thursday night, when now-No. 5 LSU arrives in Austin for a top-five SEC tilt (9 p.m. ET, ESPN), will be different.
Per Basketball Reference’s game score metric, the loss to LSU was Harmon’s worst game of the season, as she shot 1-for-7 for the field and scored just two points, along with committing two turnovers compared to registering just three assists. In fact, her -2.9 game score is not only her lone negative mark of the season, coming in eight points below her second-lowest game score, but also the worst of her career, which has otherwise featured only three other negative games.
So, it’s safe to bet that Harmon will be better.
For the season, she’s averaging 9.1 points per on the best finishing season since her injury-shortened junior year. Harmon leads the ‘Horns with almost seven assists per game, along with almost three steals. She is the tip of the spear for Texas’ defense, which has the third-best defensive rating in the nation.
While Harmon could have one of her rare offensive outbursts, as she did when she dropped 26 points in a win over No. 2 UCLA earlier this season, her poise and presence, rather than the stats she records, will determine if the Longhorns win the rematch. Instead of Harmon getting harried by LSU’s aggressive defenders, Harmon needs to be the one doing the harrying, inducing the Tigers into turnovers, late-clock situations and overall disorganization that drives a defense-first victory for Texas.
That the rest of Texas’ key players had a solid game in the loss to LSU suggests that just a “regular” game from Rori will be enough to push the Longhorns over the top.
Madison Booker did her best to try to drag Texas to a win, with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Kyla Oldacre took care of the glass with 16 rebounds, in addition to working her way to 16 points. Jordan Lee kept firing away from 3 while playing all 40 minutes, while Bryanna Preston brought her characteristic zip. The Longhorns can also benefit from the return of Aaliyah Crump, who missed the first contest with an injury but has scored 26 points across Texas’ last two games.
The win over Texas was the second in LSU’s current seven-game winning streak. And since scoring 70 points against the Longhorns, the Tigers have put up at least 90 points in the subsequent six wins, including lighting up No. 21 Alabama for 103 points. Needless to say, the LSU will march into the Moody Center with well-earned confidence.
However, they would be unwise to underestimate Rori Harmon.
