Texas Women's Basketball Draws Alabama in SEC Quarterfinal After Recent Regular-Season Win
Texas Women's Basketball will face Alabama in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, a rematch coming five days after Texas closed the regular season with a 72-65 victory at Alabama. The matchup matters because Texas enters as the No. 3 seed with a double-bye, while Alabama advanced through two tournament wins to reach this stage.
Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Rematch five days after 72-65 game
The quarterfinal meeting is set for Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S. C., and arrives exactly five days after Texas completed the regular season with a 72-65 win at Alabama. Texas’ 28-3 record and No. 3 seed granted the Longhorns a double-bye, meaning they did not have to play during the tournament’s first two days. Alabama, seeded 11th, reached the quarterfinals by beating No. 14 Missouri 65-48 and No. 6 Tennessee 76-64.
Because Texas earned the double-bye, the Longhorns will be fresher on game day than Alabama, which logged two tournament games en route to Greenville’s later rounds. That accumulation of minutes for Alabama produced measurable momentum: two wins by margins of 17 and 12 points pushed the Crimson Tide into this rematch with the third seed.
Texas Women's Basketball seeding and postseason positioning
Seeding has shaped the bracket: Texas’ placement as the No. 3 seed means the Longhorns bypassed the opening rounds, while Alabama’s 11th seed required back-to-back victories to secure this quarterfinal berth. The winner of the Alabama-Texas game will advance to play seventh-seeded Ole Miss, which toppled No. 2 Vanderbilt 89-78 in its quarterfinal match.
Both Alabama and Texas beat Ole Miss during the regular season, with those two results decided by a combined four points—an indication of how tight these matchups have been. The selection committee’s recent projections placed Texas and Vanderbilt as the No. 4 and No. 5 overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament, underscoring the stakes for teams still sorting final postseason positioning in Greenville.
Vic Schaefer: 'We’ve seen it all' after 15 games vs ranked opponents
Head coach Vic Schaefer emphasized the Longhorns’ seasoning when noting Texas faced 15 games against -ranked opponents in the regular season. Schaefer framed that slate as the reason the team is battle tested and ready for postseason play, asserting that the intensity of those matchups has prepared the roster for a condensed tournament run.
What makes this notable is the convergence of recent performance and tournament structure: Texas’ heavy regular-season strength of schedule and earned double-bye reduce their immediate workload, while Alabama’s consecutive wins inject confidence and court rhythm. That dynamic sets up a game where preparation and freshness could be decisive.
Additional context from the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt quarterfinal illuminates the regional picture. Ole Miss surged to a 23-2 lead and carried a 32-point halftime cushion before holding on for the 89-78 victory. Fifth-year senior Latasha Lattimore, who began her collegiate career at Texas, posted a season-high 28 points and eight rebounds for Ole Miss; teammate Cotie McMahon added 27 points. Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph was assessed two technical fouls and ejected with 9: 25 remaining after arguing a foul call, an incident that altered Vanderbilt’s rotation and game management down the stretch.
With Texas and Alabama set to meet, the immediate cause—Texas’ high seed and Alabama’s momentum from two tournament wins—leads directly to a matchup that could shape both teams’ paths in the SEC bracket and influence final NCAA projections. The quarterfinal winner will not only advance to face Ole Miss but will also carry a clearer line toward selection positioning as the postseason accelerates.
