The Texas Longhorns managed to preserve their unbeaten streak this past Sunday, but not without a nerve-wracking finish. In a home game at the Moody Center, the No. 2 ranked squad faced off against the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels, eking out a narrow victory with a final score of 67-64. The Longhorns, who improved to 17-0 on the season, led by 15 points entering the fourth quarter before the Rebels mounted a comeback attempt that fell just short. According to KXAN, Cotie McMahon of Ole Miss scored a game-high 19 points, 12 of which came during the final period's rally.
While Texas had maintained comfortable leads for the majority of the game, Ole Miss surged in the fourth quarter, shooting a formidable 8 of 13 from the field. Madison Booker's key jumper extended Texas' lead late in the game, but Ole Miss kept the pressure on till the last seconds. A missed opportunity at the free-throw line by McMahon and an off-target 3-pointer finalized the intense contest. Despite the Rebels' tenacity, it was clutch plays from Longhorn guard Jordan Lee, who scored 17 points, which helped his team stay afloat, as reported by Ground News.
Texas' head coach, Vic Schaefer, looked at the close win as a teaching moment for his team. "It's a learning experience. I'm really proud of our kids for finding their way through a really difficult fourth quarter. You have to give Ole Miss credit. Those kids didn’t quit," Schaefer shared in a statement obtained by KXAN. He emphasized the importance of resilience, stating, "Toughness comes in all forms — physical, mental — and we had some mental breakdowns, especially in that fourth quarter."
The game also featured a continuation of Texas' defensive prowess, with the Longhorns entering the matchup tied for the nation's best in turnovers per game at just 9.8. Despite committing 14 turnovers against Ole Miss – slightly higher than their average – the Longhorns compelled the Rebels into 16 errors, maintaining their national-leading turnover margin. Ole Miss, now standing at 14-3 and 1-1 in SEC play, is scheduled to face Oklahoma on Thursday, aiming to bounce back from the tight loss.
As the Longhorns extend their 35-game home winning streak, they look ahead to hosting Auburn, keeping an eye on maintaining their best start since the 1985-86 NCAA champion team. A notable feat for the squad this season is their impressive 5-0 record against teams ranked in the AP top 15, a statistic that points to their resilience under pressure and capacity to come out on top in high-stakes matchups.
