For Baylor Bears associate head coach Johnnie Harris, the inaugural Sprouts Farmers Market espnW Invitational wasn’t just another game. She had spent nine years as Vic Schaefer’s right hand, and this matchup meant everything. “I want to kick their b—,” she had said pre-game. But when it was all over, her team was on the receiving end of a historic beatdown that echoed through the decades.

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns stunned the Bears with an 89-54 win. You just don’t see blowouts like that when ranked teams go head-to-head, and Baylor, ranked 13th in the country, isn’t used to taking hits like this either.

In fact, it was the first time since January 30, 2006, that the Bears lost a game by more than 30 points. That’s almost two decades.

The Bears actually came out looking ready for business, jumping to a 9-4 start. But that ended up being the biggest lead they’d see all night…

The Longhorns answered with a massive 21-2 run in the first quarter, holding their opposition to just one field goal in the final 7:01 of the opening period. By the time the quarter ended, they were up 29-13. Texas forced eight turnovers in that first quarter alone, and from there, the dominance never really stopped.

Preseason AP All-America forward Madison Booker set the tone for the Longhorns, leading from the front with 27 points and 8 rebounds. But she wasn’t doing it alone. Jordan Lee continued to prove she’s one of the premier sophomores in the nation, dropping 19 points along with four steals and two assists. The Stockton native has been at her best in big moments, averaging 17.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game against top-25 opponents this season.

The Bears had no answer for the Longhorns’ relentless pressure, turning the ball over 30 times and gifting them 42 points. The victors shot 49% from the field, dominated the paint with 48 points, and completely controlled the game from start to finish.

It was a statement performance. The win pushed the Longhorns to a flawless 12-0 start.

Speaking of flawless starts, a win like this could easily help them make a move toward that No. 1 spot in the rankings.

Can the Texas Longhorns climb to No. 1 in the country?

It was the first time in 21 years that the Longhorns climbed to No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll earlier this February. They capped their debut SEC season with a Final Four run, and they look every bit like a team determined to repeat that success.

The Longhorns sit at No. 2 in the country right now, and we predicted last week that they might climb to No. 1. The UConn Huskies held onto the top spot instead, but after today’s win over Baylor, things could shift quickly. They already have five ranked wins this season, compared to the Huskies’ three.

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This could very well be the week the Longhorns leapfrog Geno Auriemma’s side, but with them crushing the USC Trojans 79-51, there might still be a twist in the tale.

Even so, this dominant win over the Bears puts the No. 2 team in a real position to become the first team to dethrone the Huskies this season.

Up next, the Longhorns return to Austin to host Northwestern State Lady Demons on December 17 at Moody Center .