The South Carolina Gamecocks took on the Texas Longhorns in the SEC tournament championship. Both teams split the season series 1-1 and went undefeated against the rest of the SEC, so the one seed was determined by a coin flip. South Carolina won the coin flip and received the one seed.
The Gamecocks were looking to get their third consecutive SEC championship. The Longhorns were looking to become the first team to win the conference championship in a new conference since Maryland did it in 2015 with the Big 10.
A win for the Longhorns would also give head coach Vic Schaefer his first SEC tournament win against Dawn Staley. During his time as the head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, he was 0-6 against Staley.
South Carolina started the game on a 6-2 run. Texas could not get much going offensively despite crashing the offensive glass. It was a slow start for both teams as neither team saw many shots fall. The Gamecocks got a ton of good looks, but the shots not going in prevented them from extending the lead.
Things started turning in the second quarter when the Gamecocks went on a 17-0 run to increase their lead to 17. Not only was the offense looking better, but the defense turned up as well. Texas is not a team that shoots or makes a lot of threes. They like to score in the paint and hit the midrange shots. South Carolina clogged the paint and made them settle for outside shots.
The Longhorns did not make a field goal until the 3:29 mark thanks to Rori Harmon hitting a jumper. Prior to that, they missed seven consecutive shots and committed four turnovers. Madison Booker was scoreless until the 1:51 mark in the quarter.
The Longhorns were outscored 21-6 in the quarter, and scored just 16 in the first half. 16 points is the fewest in a half in SEC championship game history. South Carolina contested 21 of 27 field goals attempted by Texas. They also dominated the paint 22-8.
Texas’ first possession of the second half began with a turnover before they went on a 4-0 run to get things going. At the 7:46 mark in the third quarter, Booker was fouled and sent to the free throw line. It was their first time at the line as they did not get there in the first half. The third quarter was a lot more productive for the Longhorns as they were getting to the line consistently.
They only made three field goals but went 11-12 at the free throw line. Even though they were putting points on the board, the Gamecocks were still in full control. The Longhorns were not able to generate consecutive stops in order to cut further into the deficit. At one point, the Gamecocks led by 20.
The fourth quarter was slow for both teams as no one made a field goal until almost three minutes into the quarter. Chloe Kitts hit a jumper to give South Carolina their first points of the quarter, and Harmon followed with a jumper of her own. From there, Texas went on a 9-2 run. Booker would hit the Longhorn’s first three of the game to cut the lead to 14. That was the closest it would get as the Gamecocks finished the game on a 6-3 run to seal the win. They dominated the Longhorns beginning in the second quarter and never looked back.
Not only is this South Carolina’s third consecutive SEC title, but it is the ninth overall. Dawn Staley improves to 5-0 against Vic Schaefer in SEC Tournament championship games (7-0 in postseason games). With this win, the Gamecocks have secured the number one seed.
Chloe Kitts led the Gamecocks with 15 points and nine rebounds. In the quarterfinals against Vanderbilt, she recorded a double-double consisting of 25 points (career-high) and 10 rebounds. With the run she had over the last few games, it was no surprise that she was named the SEC Tournament MVP.
She was also named on the SEC All-Tournament team alongside Sania Feagin, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Madison Booker.
Photo Courtesy: @GamecockWBB/X
