The Texas women’s basketball team didn’t need to find a poker table Wednesday afternoon in order to win big.
Senior Rori Harmon put on a 26-point show as Texas opened its appearance at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas with a statement win. In its first game against a team from a Power Four conference this season, No. 4 Texas fought off a late rally from No. 3 UCLA in a 76-65 win.
Article continues below this ad
UCLA head coach Cori Close reacts to a foul call during the second quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game against the Texas Longhorns at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
Texas’ Justice Carlton and UCLA’s Angela Dugalic (32) compete for a rebound during the first quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer reacts to a foul call during the first quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
Texas guard Rori Harmon (left) and UCLA guard Kiki Rice contest for an inbound pass during the first quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
Texas (6-0) will now face the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 2 South Carolina and Duke on Thanksgiving.
MORE: Longhorns can fatten NIL wallets, NCAA résumés at Las Vegas event
UCLA (6-1) scored 21 seconds after Wednesday’s tip, but that would be the only deficit that Texas faced at the Michelob ULTRA Arena. A Madison Booker jumper gave Texas a 10-point lead in the first frame’s final minute, and the Longhorns expanded their lead to 20 points by halftime.
Texas led by as many as 23 points in the second half before UCLA put together a furious rally and pulled with four points at three separate points of the fourth quarter.
Article continues below this ad
Texas guard Rori Harmon yells after a basket against the UCLA Bruins at the end of the second quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
But a Harmon jumper twice turned a four-point lead into a six-point advantage, and Texas was able to hold off a UCLA team that made just one free throw over the final two minutes.
For Texas, the star of the game was Harmon. The fifth-year point guard fell four points shy of the career-high total that she set as a freshman, and her five assists moved her within eight of tying the all-time record at Texas. Harmon committed just one turnover on offense, and she drew four offensive fouls and recorded a steal on defense.
Article continues below this ad
In its victory, Texas also got 16 points from Booker and 13 points from sophomore guard Jordan Lee. Sophomore forward Justice Carlton added 10 points and six rebounds for Texas, which was playing without guards Aaliyah Crump (foot), Bryanna Preston (ankle) and Ashton Judd (knee).
UCLA was led by the 17 points scored by both Kiki Rice and Gianna Kneepkens. Lauren Betts, who joined Booker on the Associated Press’ preseason All-American team, was limited to eight points and seven rebounds.
Texas now owns an 8-6 lead in its all-time series with UCLA. The two teams had last met in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Texas vs. UCLA live updates
4th (4:26): Texas 64, UCLA 60
Rori Harmon’s first turnover of the day has come at an inopportune time as Kiki Rice’s steal-and-score highlight has pulled UCLA within four points. UCLA trailed by 23 points with 2:05 left in the third quarter, but the Bruins have outscored Texas by a 13-2 margin in the final frame.
Article continues below this ad
4th (5:57): Texas 64, UCLA 54
Texas has only scored two points in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns have still kept the Bruins at arm’s length. UCLA has made two of its three shots in this final frame, but Texas has also forced three turnovers.
Texas forward Madison Booker (35) against UCLA’s Lauren Betts (51) and Kiki Rice during the first quarter of a Players Era Championship basketball tournament game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
4th (8:48): Texas 62, UCLA 52
Five quick points from UCLA has forced Texas to call a quick timeout in the fourth quarter. Texas has held a double-digit lead since there were 42 seconds left in the first quarter.
Article continues below this ad
End 3: Texas 62, UCLA 47
Texas is 10 minutes away from securing the biggest win of its young season. The Longhorns enter the final quarter with a 15-point lead over UCLA, which has beaten ranked Oklahoma and North Carolina teams this season.
A quartet of Longhorns have double-digit point totals today with senior Rori Harmon’s 16 points leading the way. Harmon also has five assists, and she has made her first two 3-point attempts of the season.
Texas has additionally gotten 14 points from Madison Booker, 13 points from Jordan Lee and 10 points from Justice Carlton. Booker and Carlton have both grabbed six rebounds.
Article continues below this ad
The first team from a Power 4 conference on UT’s schedule this season, UCLA has been led so far by Gianna Kneepkens’ 14 points. UCLA did outscore Texas by five points in the third quarter.
3rd (5:00): Texas 53, UCLA 32
Texas was held scoreless for the first 115 seconds of the second half, but the Longhorns remain in control of the Michelob ULTRA Arena scoreboard. Jordan Lee’s third 3-pointer of the afternoon and Rori Harmon’s first deep make of the season has helped Texas build an 8-7 advantage in the third quarter.
UCLA survived a scare in the opening minute of the second half after Lauren Betts appeared to injure her arm while fighting for a rebound with fellow All-American Madison Booker. Betts left the game and went to the UCLA locker room, but the senior center returned to the floor about two minutes later.
Article continues below this ad
Halftime: Texas 45, UCLA 25
A strong start by Madison Booker and Jordan Lee has helped Texas build an impressive 20-point halftime lead. Booker and Lee have respectively scored 13 and 10 points while veteran point guard Rori Harmon has 10 points and five assists for a Texas team that is shooting 51.4% from the field. The first half ended with Harmon scoring on a fast-break opportunity that was started by a Lee steal.
UCLA was led by Charlisse Leger-Walker’s nine points in the first half. The Bruins committed 10 turnovers and missed 15 of their 27 shots.
Booker and UCLA center Lauren Betts were two of the five members of the Associated Press’ preseason All-American team. In the first half, Booker outscored Betts by seven points.
Article continues below this ad
2nd (4:49): Texas 29, UCLA 14
Texas sophomore Justice Carlton has made the most of her early minutes in Las Vegas. Off the bench, Carlton has scored six points and grabbed four rebounds. She is one of four Longhorns with at least six points so far.
One early highlight for Carlton? The 6-foot-1 forward grabbed her only defensive rebound so far off a missed 3-pointer by UCLA. Carlton got the basketball to Rori Harmon, who pushed it up the court and found Jordan Lee. Lee then knocked down a 3-pointer to give Texas a 25-10 lead with 8:02 left in the quarter.
End 1: Texas 20, UCLA 10
UCLA scored this afternoon’s first points, but that 2-0 hole is the only deficit that Texas has faced so far. The Longhorns have jumped out to an early lead behind the play of senior guard Rori Harmon, who has scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting while distributing an assist. Harmon has also drawn at least two offensive fouls on defense.
Article continues below this ad
One thing worth monitoring? Texas is playing without guards Bryanna Preston, Ashton Judd and Aaliyah Crump today. Texas knew that Judd (knee) wouldn’t play in Las Vegas and Preston (ankle) had a questionable tag. However, this is the first game that Crump is missing. A team spokesperson said that the freshman standout is sitting with a foot injury.
UCLA has seven turnovers to UT’s one in the first quarter.
1st (6:14): Texas 8, UCLA 4
The Longhorns have jumped out to an early lead in Las Vegas and Jordan Lee’s steal-and-score has forced UCLA to take an early timeout. Lee has scored half of UT’s points so far while Rori Harmon has four points and an assist.
Article continues below this ad
Texas Longhorns starting lineup
Article continues below this ad
UCLA Bruins starting lineup
Article continues below this ad
Article continues below this ad
Texas basketball vs UCLA time, TV info
When: 1 p.m. CT Wednesday
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas
Article continues below this ad
Texas Longhorns basketball results
Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
Article continues below this ad