The Texas Longhorns had the most successful week in women’s college basketball history in the last 25 years. First, they drubbed the then-No.3 UCLA 76-65. A day later, they went past then-No. 2 South Carolina, 66-64, to win the Players Championship thanks to a Rori Harmon jumper with just 0.7 seconds left on the clock. 

They became the first team in the last 2 and a half decades to defeat two top-three teams in such a short span. On the back of those wins, their AP Poll ranking went up 2 places to No.2, dethroning South Carolina. Now, Texas faces No.11 UNC in the ACC/SEC Challenge, which is bidding for its first win against a ranked team. 

How to watch Texas vs. UNC?

Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025

Tip-off Time: 7:00 pm ET or 4:00 pm PT

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Venue: Moody Center, Austin, Texas

TV: ESPN2 in the U.S.​

Streaming: Fubo, ESPN App, DirecTV

Texas vs. UNC: Injury Report

Texas will continue being shorthanded against UNC as guards Bryanna Preston (ankle), Aaliyah Crump (foot), and Ashton Judd (knee) remain out. Since transfer center Lovisa Asbrink Hose is redshirting this season, Texas will only have nine available options. 

On the other hand, UNC also has some injury issues. Reniya Kelly injured her knee at the end of the 2024-25 season and remains on a minutes restriction. Taissa Queiroz, the Brazilian freshman guard, remains sidelined with an unspecified injury. Blanca Thomas made her season debut after coming back from injury against UCLA, but hasn’t played since. It’s unclear what the situation is regarding Thomas. 

Texas vs. UNC: Projected starting lineups

Texas

Breya Cunningham

Madison Booker

Teya Sidberry

Jordan Lee

Rori Harmon

UNC

Ciera Toomey

Elina Aarnisalo

Lanie Grant

Reniya Kelly

Indya Nivar

Texas vs. UNC: Preview and prediction

Texas is arguably the best defense in the country. They out-defended South Carolina, which prides itself on its ability to lock teams down. While Texas went for the high-profile Players Championship, North Carolina had comfortable wins over potential NCAA tournament teams South Dakota State, Kansas State, and Columbia on consecutive days in the Cancun Challenge. Let’s look at how the two teams stack up ahead of the game. 

Texas is topping opponents by 37.3 points per game. It is putting up 92.1 points per game to rank sixth in college basketball and is giving up 54.8 per contest to rank 35th in college basketball. Texas is both an elite perimeter defending team and scoring very few 3 pointers themselves. Their 4.5 three-pointers per game (307th in college basketball), while their opponents have made 4.5 on average. 

Their ability to dominate the paint and prevent 3 pointers will be tested by UNC, who attempt more than twice as many 3 pointers as Texas at a similar accuracy. Nyla Brooks is the chief outside shooter for UNC, making 2.3 per game at 44.7%. Texas’ defense will be the hardest to crack for UNC. 

“Their team’s a very good team,” UNC Coach Courtney Banghart said of Texas. “Another thing is their pressure. They make every entry difficult on all parts of the floor. You’ve got to guard really solid players.”

Despite being shorthanded, they have found ways to create an effective offense as well. Madison Booker and Jordan Lee are leading the line at 16.8 and 14.6 points per game. Rori Harmon is the premier creator at 6.3 assists per game, but can take over the scoring duties as well. 

Because of the historic couple of games and the major increase in their stock, Texas is the clear favorite with an 86.7% chance to win this game per ESPN Analytics. However, UNC is aiming for a major upset. “We’re young enough that we’re going to be really good,” Banghart said, adding that beating the No. 2 team would be a powerful way of showing it. Because of the momentum and the confidence gained, the prediction remains that Texas to win, but it will be close.