Wednesday was the season opener for Texas ladies’s basketball and within the grand scheme of issues, it may not imply a lot.
Certain, the Longhorns seemed like their regular selves within the 85-65 house win towards Fairleigh Dickinson. And like head coach Vic Schaefer stated Tuesday to reporters, “(The gamers) are creating habits that may proceed via January, February and March.”
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The Longhorns compelled a 5-second violation within the first quarter, Madison Booker was making it rain with 24 factors, the crew went 34-for-75 from the sector and created 18 FDU turnovers by enjoying bodily basketball1. Plus, the Longhorns had been constructing new habits like getting snug with recent faces, and middle Breya Cunningham making her first 3-pointer ever within the first 11 seconds of the sport.
“Hopefully, meaning I’ve gained his belief and I can simply begin taking pictures it extra,” she stated.
However, keep in mind, the win was towards an NEC crew, and Choice Sunday is months away.
“We’re a piece in progress and we acquired an extended technique to go,” Schaefer stated after the sport.
Who’s going to be the highest perimeter defender?
The Longhorns allowed the bottom factors per sport amongst SEC groups the previous two seasons. A key half to the tight Texas protection underneath Schaefer is holding a powerful perimeter. Texas Ex Rori Harmon set the usual, and the Longhorns want somebody that may match her power.
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“She lined so many leaks,” Schaefer stated Tuesday. “She lined so many individuals’s backs and butts defensively.”
After scoring simply eight factors within the first quarter, FDU acquired sizzling fast because of the 3-point taking pictures of Reese Downey. The guard was 5-for11, whereas the Knights shot 50% as a crew.
“They acquired 20 3s off towards us,” Schaefer stated after the sport. “That is an actual indicator we did not play effectively defensively. Most of them had been vast open so we had been actually struggling defensively with them.”
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There are two potential choices of gamers who might take Harmon’s place: Bryanna Preston and Zya Vann. Each deliver pace and tenacity to the defensive finish and completed the evening with related stat traces that might be what Schaefer is in search of.
“There’s only a degree of depth that it takes to protect the ball, and I informed them at halftime: ‘if we won’t run quicker than the ball might be dribbled, we now have an issue,'” Schaefer stated.
A slight complication might be that generally the pair can overcommit and might get beat in the event that they play a smidge to shut to whoever they’re guarding. Schaefer admitted after the sport that the Longhorns “struggled with matchups.”
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Plus, a powerful perimeter protection will help mitigate any fouls when attempting to play assist protection; Cunningham and Preston picked up fouls early within the third quarter on both the perimeter or coming over to assist.
Texas Longhorns ahead Breya Cunningham (25) drives to the ring within the second half of the Texas Longhorns’ 85-65 win over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on the Moody Middle in Austin, Nov. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
Dashing pictures will not repay
The Longhorns had been the No.7 crew within the nation final 12 months for complete offense with 83.9 factors.
Texas is effectively on its means to do this once more however there are loads of puzzle items that want to suit to see the entire image. Schaefer has excessive scoring expectations for Cunningham and he or she completed the evening with 21 factors. Booker had 24 factors and shot 50% from the sector.
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They had been the one Longhorns that scored in double figures.
“I assumed we took some dangerous pictures,” Schaefer stated.
Texas Longhorns’ head coach Vic Schaefer watches because the Longhorns tackle Baylor in an exhibition sport at The Moody Middle in Austin on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman)
Preston was 2-for-8 from the sector (4 factors), Vann was 3-for-8 (seven factors) and Jayda Clark was 3-for-9 (seven factors). Schaefer substituted loads of gamers in to assist construct chemistry and bench gamers posted 22 factors, nevertheless it wasn’t ok as a result of a heavy a part of scoring really feel to 2 individuals.
The Longhorns have the offensive hearth energy to make loads of bounce pictures, like they did within the exhibition towards UCLA. Plus, ahead Isi Etute got here off the bench to relive Cunningham for 9 factors, which was added to Texas’ 34 paint factors.
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“We sort of need to attempt to actually construct that chemistry and begin enjoying collectively and begin figuring out who wants pictures like our fours and fives after they’re actually down there within the paint,” Booker stated.
Texas is aware of the habits it wants to enhance on because the season goes on and the opener towards Fairleigh Dickinson is simply the beginning of the journey.
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This text initially revealed at Vic Schaefer says Texas is a ‘work in progress.’ What do they should work on?.
