No. 4 Texas Upsets No. 2 South Carolina on Late Shot to Win Players Era Festival

Texas women's basketball is this year's Players Era Festival champion.

The No. 4 Longhorns upset No. 2 South Carolina 66-64 thanks to a last-second shot from Rori Harmon. Harmon drilled a go-ahead basket and left the Gamecocks less than a second to respond.

Though Harmon secured the win for Texas, sophomore guard Jordan Lee led the way for most of the night, posting a game-high 19 points while playing 40 minutes. Star junior Madison Booker also stepped up for the Longhorns, recording 16 points, nine boards and five steals. Harmon had just six points, but picked up nine assists in the win.

Texas' draw in the Players Era Festival wasn't easy, as before it took down the No. 2 team in the nation, it picked up a double-digit win over No. 3 UCLA. The win over the Gamecocks is already the Longhorns' third of the season.

Getting a win over Dawn Staley's squad is no small feat—just four other teams have beaten the Gamecocks since 2022—so Texas should head into the rest of non-conference play feeling very good about what it has done so far.

The Longhorns' non-conference schedule has a few manageable games, but some that will give them even more tests. They'll get two more ranked opponents (No. 12 North Carolina and No. 15 Baylor) before SEC play begins on Jan. 1.

Since taking over in 2020, Vic Schaefer has turned Texas into a mainstay of the NCAA tournament, reaching four Elite Eights and a Final Four last season, which was the Longhorns' first in more than two decades.

Now, Schaefer is hoping to deliver Texas its second national championship in program history. After the way the Longhorns played at the Players Era Festival, it's clear they're capable of competing for a title.