Booker, Holle Lead No. 4 Texas To 87-66 Win Over No. 24 Vanderbilt

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Madison Booker scored 20 points, Shay Holle added 16 and No. 4 Texas beat No. 24 Vanderbilt 87-66 on Thursday night for its seventh straight win.

Booker converted 7 of 12 shots from the field while adding six rebounds and four assists as Texas won its 19th straight home game dating to last January. Holle hit 4 of 5 3-pointers.

Taylor Jones had 13 points and six rebounds, and Jordan Lee scored 12 for Texas (23-2, 9-1 Southeastern Conference), which shot 52.8% from the field and is 15-0 when shooting 50% or better.

Khamil Pierre led Vanderbilt (18-6, 5-5) with 26 points and Mikayla Blakes had 22.

Pierre scored 12 in the third quarter, when Vanderbilt got within five points after trailing by 15 in the first half. But Lee responded with a 3-pointer, and Jones, Booker and Bryanna Preston combined to make nine free throws as Texas stretched its lead to 13 by the end of the period.

Booker, Holle lead No. 4 Texas to 87-66 win over No. 24 Vanderbilt | iNFOnews.ca — Texas guard Rori Harmon (3) drives to the basket against Vanderbilt guard Justine Pissott (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Takeaways

Vanderbilt: The Commodores entered averaging 85.3 points per game, including 80 against SEC competition. But this was the second straight game they were far short of that, having lost to Mississippi 76-61 on Sunday.

Texas: The Longhorns played their fourth straight game without starting forward Aaliyah Moore, who recently had arthroscopic surgery to address tendinitis in her knee. She hopes to return this season.

Key moment

Lee made two 3-pointers in the final 1:20 of the second quarter, giving the Longhorns a 38-25 lead at the break. Texas finished with nine 3s — six more than its average in SEC games.