The time has finally come to crown a new Southeastern Conference champion as Texas and South Carolina face each other in the championship game.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks look for their ninth title, while conference newcomer Texas aims to make history in their first year. Four of Staley’s eight titles with South Carolina came in wins over now Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, who led Mississippi State to the championship game in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, only winning in 2019.
Texas and South Carolina played each other twice throughout the regular season, and each won their respective home matches. With this third game, the tie will finally be broken and only one will come out with the title.
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South Carolina started the game with a 4-0 run, but Texas closed the gap to 6-4.
The first quarter ends with a two-point lead for the Gamecocks, who are playing only 100 miles away from home in Greenville, SC. Texas sophomore forward and SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker has yet to score a point. Taylor Jones leads with four points, Rori Harmon, Kyla Oldacre and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda all have two.
South Carolina leads 12-10.
Rori Harmon is down in the floor.
Harmon seems to be okay, just with a bloody nose. South Carolina leads 15-10 with 7:30 left in the quarter.
Harmon sat on the bench for a couple minutes to recover, but is back in the game.
Media timeout. South Carolina increases the lead to 20-10 with 5:23 left in the first half.
Texas has yet to score a single point in this quarter, South Carolina has scored 12. Leads 27-10.
Harmon has the first points of the corner but South Carolina immediately responds. 29-12.
HALFTIME: South Carolina 33, Texas 16
Turnovers might be killing Texas’ game. The Horns have 13. South Carolina leads 37-21.
Not a good game for Texas. The Longhorns are heading to the fourth quarter with a 19 point deficit. Taylor Jones leads both teams with 14 points, Harmon right behind at 10.
Media timeout: South Carolina leads 54-34. The Gamecocks have not trailed at any point of the game. 6:31 left.
With just one minute left on the clock, South Carolina leads by 20.
Texas finishes its first season in the Southeastern Conference falling to now three-peat champions South Carolina 64-45. A very weak performance by the Longhorns.
The Horns will find out their NCAA Tournament fate next Sunday, though it is still likely they will get a No. 1 seed.
