No. 2 South Carolina women's basketball (18-1, 5-0 SEC) defeated No. 4 Texas (18-2, 3-2 SEC) on Thursday at Colonial Life Arena by a score of 68-65, avenging a loss from earlier this season. A tight fourth quarter earned the Gamecocks their highest-ranked win of the year.
A huge crowd-pop kicked off Thursday’s action when junior guard Tessa Johnson drained a 3-pointer on South Carolina’s first possession of the night. The bucket wasn't a sign of things to come for the team, as the Gamecock offense flustered throughout the first quarter.
The lead wouldn’t last long, and by the 6:15 mark, Texas would capture its first lead of the game following a jumper from graduate guard Rori Harmon. The Longhorns retained the lead until just before halftime.
South Carolina turned the ball over six times in the game’s first 10 minutes, largely due to successful full-court press efforts by the Longhorns. The defensive effort disrupted the Gamecock offense, which shot 3-13 in the quarter from the field. The Gamecocks also missed four free throws.
Texas had earned a 20-13 lead after the first quarter thanks to 7 points from junior forward Madison Booker and 6 from Harmon. They also out-rebounded South Carolina 11-9 across the quarter, and unlike the Gamecocks, Texas capitalized at the charity stripe by knocking down six of its seven attempts.
Another bucket from Harmon began the second quarter as offensive woes for the Gamecocks began to carry over into the game’s second period. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards began the game uncharacteristically cold, going 1-8 across the first two quarters.
By the 17 minute mark, South Carolina had shot 8-22 overall from the field and trailed by 7. The Gamecocks managed to head into the locker room tied with Texas after forcing several turnovers, and a pair of free throws from Edwards tied the game at 32.
Harmon would finish the quarter a perfect 3-3 from the field for 6 points, bringing her halftime total to 12 on 5-6 shooting. Booker was held scoreless in the second quarter.
The Longhorns were shooting 50% from the field at the midway mark, compared to the Gamecocks’ 34.5%. Five missed first-half free throws by South Carolina and 10 turnovers also played a role in the Gamecocks' offensive inefficiency at the break.
Similarly to the game’s first basket, the first score of the second half was none other than a triple from Tessa Johnson to give South Carolina its first lead since the first quarter.
Senior guard Ta’Niya Latson provided a spark of life to South Carolina’s offense when she scored 6 of the team’s first 9 points of the third quarter.
Back-to-back buckets from freshman guard Agot Makeer near the end of the third quarter helped keep the Gamecocks in it, but the team continued to struggle against Texas’ continued full-court press. The team turned the ball over eight times in period three alone.
Entering the fourth quarter trailing 49-48, South Carolina would post a 20-point period on the backs of its stars that managed to outdo the efforts of Booker.
Shortly into the final period, Booker knocked down a fade away two that lifted Texas to a 3-point lead, but Tessa Johnson’s third 3-pointer of the game tied the teams at 55 with under seven minutes to play.
A converted and-one from Edwards retook the lead at 58-57, and a 3-pointer from senior center Madina Okot both erupted the arena and gave South Carolina its first two-score lead since under four minutes into the first quarter.
Two consecutive contested layups in the clutch from Raven Johnson held off strong efforts from Booker, who scored 8 points in the final period. No other Longhorn had more than 2.
Texas' press efforts began to falter in crunch time, and the Gamecocks limited their total turnovers in the period to just two. They had notched at least four turnovers in every other quarter so far, including eight in the third. Texas scored just two points off turnovers in the fourth quarter.
A series of Gamecock free throws in the waning minute sealed the 68-65 victory. South Carolina’s 11th straight victory advances it to 18-1 on the season. The Gamecocks trail only No. 5 Vanderbilt (18-0) within the SEC.
What's next?
The Gamecocks (18-1, 5-0 SEC) will hit the road to take on Coppin State (4-15, 2-2 MEAC) this Sunday at noon at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Maryland. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.