DALLAS – Georgia started the season casting doubt on Texas’s title hopes.

Now the Bulldogs have confirmed it, knocking third-seeded Texas out of the NCAA tournament with a 70-68 victory in the second round last night.

Tasha Humphrey scored 26 points and Cori Chambers had 15 to lead sixth-seeded Georgia to its second victory of the season over Texas. Georgia advanced to the round of 16 for the third straight year and the 15th time in 21 appearances.

In doing so, the Bulldogs denied Texas entrance into the tournament’s third round for the first time in four years.

Georgia will face the winner of tonight’s Duke-Boston College game on Saturday in the Chattanooga Regional semifinals.

At the start of the season, the Longhorns were ranked no. 2 in the country before playing at Georgia their second game. The Bulldogs, then ranked no. 5, rallied from a 15-point deficit to win 78-64.

But there was no need for a Georgia comeback this time. The Bulldogs (24-9) led for the entire game, holding off a Texas rally in the final four minutes to hand the Longhorns their earliest tournament exit since falling in the first round in 2001.

Texas’s Tiffany Jackson tied her career high with 30 points, but her game tying attempt with 12 seconds remaining was blocked by Georgia’s Rebecca Rowsey.

Moments earlier, Heather Schreiber had hit a 3-pointer with 1:26 left to bring Texas (22-9) within two, part of 15-4 run after Texas had trailed by 10.

But always there to answer at the other end was Humphrey, who the Longhorns couldn’t control for the second time this season. The 6-foot-3 freshman scored 27 points in her first meeting with Texas.