Longhorns Coach Praises Team’s Heart in One-Possession Thriller, Credits “Play of the Game” to Okot’s Three

As reported by On3, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer didn’t hide his pride despite a heartbreaking 68-65 loss to #2 South Carolina on Thursday night—a defeat he called “a heavyweight title fight” that came down to a single possession.

A Coach’s Pride in Defeat

Opening his postgame press conference with unwavering support for his team, Schaefer set the tone immediately.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt (for) anybody that was in the arena tonight or on national TV, two teams just really just competing and playing their hearts out. I’m very proud of my kids,” he said. “When I walk off that floor tonight, I know I’ve got a hell of a team and we’d stay tomorrow and play overnight if they want to.”

Despite 22 turnovers—well above their season average of 9—Schaefer refused to fault his players’ effort in a hostile environment.

“I can’t fault my kids tonight. They played their heart out,” he emphasized. “I’m not trading my group for anybody. I love these kids, I love their fight, I love their competitive spirit, and I thought they were really tough tonight.”

The Play That Made the Difference

Asked about what separated the two evenly-matched teams, Schaefer pointed to one moment: Madina Okot’s three-pointer that gave South Carolina a crucial 61-57 lead with 3:41 remaining.

“Probably the play of the game is (Madina) Okot’s three. Other than that, it was just a heavyweight title fight,” Schaefer said matter-of-factly.

Full-Court Pressure as Identity

One of Texas’s most effective weapons was their relentless full-court press, which forced South Carolina into 20 turnovers and generated eight more shot attempts for the Longhorns.

“The press was good… that’s been our bread and butter. It’s what makes Rori (Harmon) so unique and different as a point guard. She plays full court, 94 feet. Nobody else in the country does that,” Schaefer explained.

He noted the press creates energy that permeates the entire defense: “When she’s playing hard on the ball like Rori, when you’re standing behind those two, you go, ‘She’s playing pretty hard, I guess I’ll play pretty hard, too.'”

A Different South Carolina Team

Comparing this year’s Gamecocks to last season’s undefeated champions, Schaefer observed significant differences—particularly in Raven Johnson’s leadership.

“I think Raven (Johnson) is just playing really hard right now. She reminds me a lot of Rori sometimes,” he said. “I think that she’s really trying to impose her will on her teammates to play hard… I think she’s really trying to claim and own the team and how they play and their toughness.”

He also acknowledged South Carolina’s evolved offensive threat: “Last year, (South Carolina’s) leading scorer was 12.7 points per game. This year, they got four above that.”

But Schaefer’s philosophy remained clear: “This game is a guard game. It’s nice to have all that size out there and we both have size, but it is a guard’s game, and you win with guard play.”

Taking Responsibility

Despite praising his players, Schaefer shouldered the blame for the loss—particularly the turnover issues.

“Any of our faults, you blame me for. I’m obviously the coach, and I haven’t coached them well enough to teach them to make some decisions where we don’t turn the ball over. I’ll wear that,” he said emphatically. “The buck stops here and I got great kids. I’m all in with them.”

Looking Ahead with Defiance

With Texas A&M coming to Austin on Sunday, Schaefer’s message was one of resilience and warning.

“We’ve had a little stretch, but we’ll be fine. We’ll be back. You haven’t seen the last of us,” he declared. “If we have to play them again, it’ll still be in the state of South Carolina, and that’s okay. And we’ll show up.”

NCAA Transfer Portal Change Gets Approval

On a lighter note, Schaefer enthusiastically endorsed the NCAA’s decision to move the transfer portal window to after the championship game.

“Fired up,” he said. “Last year, we’re in the Elite Eight when it opened, and my conscience won’t allow me to go start recruiting kids when my juice and energy and focus needs to be on these kids… I think it’s a great decision, and it’s just fair.”

Texas falls to 15-3 (2-2 SEC) but showed they can compete with anyone in the count

Source: On3