HARRISONBURG, Va. — The Texas Longhorns demonstrated resilience following their season’s first defeat, decisively defeating James Madison 93-62 on Sunday. Madison Booker led the scoring with 21 points, while Jordan Lee contributed 20 points. Rori Harmon also had a solid performance, recording 19 points along with five assists and four rebounds for the Longhorns, who are now 8-1 this season. This victory marked a historic moment as it set the record for the most points scored by a visiting team at the Atlantic Union Bank Center since it opened four years ago.
Ro Scott was the standout for the Dukes, scoring 22 points—her sixth consecutive game reaching double figures. However, she was one of seven players on the team who encountered difficulties with ball control, resulting in multiple turnovers throughout the game. This match drew an audience of 3,361, the fourth-largest turnout for a women’s basketball game at the facility.
**Observations**
Texas bounced back strongly after suffering an 80-70 loss to No. 10 Notre Dame earlier in the season. In this matchup, the Longhorns demonstrated superiority on both ends of the court, utilizing their height and speed to gain an advantage early on. In contrast, James Madison, still reeling from a 46-point defeat against then-No. 6 Notre Dame less than a month ago, showed only slight improvement in competitiveness against Texas, their highest-ranked opponent since hosting Maryland in 2021.
**Turning Point**
The match began with the Longhorns launching an 11-0 run, compelling JMU to call for a timeout just 2:30 into the game. The Dukes struggled offensively, missing their first five attempts, while Texas capitalized, converting four of their first five shots. The 31 points the Longhorns scored in the first quarter represent the most that James Madison has allowed in any single quarter this season.
**Critical Statistics**
Entering this game, Texas averaged 25.7 turnovers per game, ranking second in the SEC. Meanwhile, James Madison had an average of 14.3 turnovers. However, they experienced a tough first half, giving up possession 13 times. Overall, Texas managed to force 24 turnovers throughout the game.
**Next Steps**
Looking ahead, Texas will return to their home court to face Southern University on Wednesday, while James Madison will travel to Villanova next Sunday for their upcoming game.
