Texas lifted its first-ever SEC women's basketball tournament trophy on Sunday, as the No. 4 Longhorns topped No. 3 South Carolina 78-61 to avenge last year's conference championship loss.
Texas laid a strong foundation for the upset victory with a 27-point first quarter, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead behind five forced turnovers plus tournament MVP Madison Booker's hot hand.
"I had some kids that were here on a mission," Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said postgame. "I just felt like my group was ready. They have really responded in the last three weeks and are in a different zone right now."
Sunday's win should secure Texas a top-seeded entry into the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball tournament, while the Gamecocks must now await their fate in this weekend's Selection Sunday bracket reveal.
The 17-point loss marks South Carolina's worst tournament loss since 2011, snapping the program's three-year title-winning streak.
"Our team knows we didn't play our best basketball, not nearly what we're capable of doing," said head coach Dawn Staley.
That said, Staley isn't ruling out another NCAA trophy.
"I told them that the last time we lost in this situation, we won the national championship," the Gamecocks sideline leader noted, referencing South Carolina's 2022 NCAA tournament run. "It might be the very thing this team needs."
