Vic Schaefer Proud of Texas Longhorns Amid Flu Outbreak, SEC Stretch
![Texas Longhorns forwards Madison Booker (35) and forward Aaliyah Moore (23) celebrate their 80-76 win over the Tennessee Lady Vols with head coach Vic Schaefer in the Moody Center, Jan. 23, 2025. Texas Longhorns forwards Madison Booker (35) and forward Aaliyah Moore (23) celebrate their 80-76 win over the Tennessee Lady Vols with head coach Vic Schaefer in the Moody Center, Jan. 23, 2025.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_103/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/longhorns_country/01jjsws1gzr9exn5eccz.jpg)
AUSTIN -- Returning from playing three games in six days, Texas Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer shared that while his team is recovering physically, they are also battling the flu.
Texas played four of its last five games on the road, including three ranked matchups. Its last two games went down to the wire, with Texas winning on late shots and defense until the final whistle.
"We're finally back home. Played four of our last five on the road, had a knockdown, drag out. Sunday. So proud of our team," Schaefer said. "And obviously we, our kids, just gutted out a really, really tough, tough game. And I'm so proud of them for that. It was the end of a five-game stretch that was really challenging, three out of seven, you know, three games in seven days."
Now, the Longhorns face an added challenge this week, the flu. Five players were unable to practice early this week. While starting players are yet to get sick, freshman Justice Carlton is battling an illness that forced her to miss practice on Tuesday but was able to return on Wednesday. But the team will still be without Aaliyah Moore, who is battling ongoing knee pain, which Schaefer said he hopes is not an extended issue.
In Moore's absence, junior Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda earned the start and high praise from Schaefer. She scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out one assist.
"You know, had to play a really good Mississippi team and adjust and adapt with (Ndjakalenga) willing to play 23 minutes, and did a nice job for us," Schaefer said.
While the stretch has been tough, it has allowed for players to gain confidence, especially sophomore guard Madison Booker. Booker made big shots late in the Tennessee and Ole Miss games, putting Texas ahead.
"She's just a confident kid, and for me, I have, I have all the confidence in the world in her like but that's because I see the work that she puts in," Schaefer said. "I know when she's in the gym, when nobody's looking."
With a star-studded lineup, Schaefer said that there are no other players that he would want to play for him because of their confidence and his confidence in them. With senior point guard Rori Harmon running the court with Booker, he knows that they're going to go full out no matter how they're playing on offense.
The Texas stars will return to the court on Thursday to take on a hot Mizzouri team at the Moody Center at 8 p.m.
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