GREENVILLE — No. 1 seed South Carolina women’s basketball will play No. 2 seed Texas for the third time this season
This will mean more. It’s for the SEC tournament championship on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Both teams finished the regular season as co-SEC champions and a coin flip was needed to break the tie between the Gamecocks (29-3) and Longhorns (31-2).
Here’s what to know about the latest matchup.
What happened the last time South Carolina played Texas?
The Gamecocks were handed their first conference loss of the season on Feb. 9 in Austin, falling to Texas 66-62. South Carolina finished 21-of-57 from the floor and hit just five of its 19 attempts from behind the 3-point line. In the fourth quarter in particular, it finished 26.67% on 4-of-15 from the field.
The game was tied six different times but South Carolina never had the lead.
Madison Booker’s offense against South Carolina’s defense
In the first game on Jan. 12, South Carolina held star sophomore Madison Booker to just seven points and she finished 3-of-19 shooting. The Gamecocks won 67-50 at home in Columbia.
On her home court, Booker finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
In total against Staley’s defense, Booker has scored 27 points and is 10-of-30 from the field.
She’s averaging 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season, and since beating South Carolina, has scored in double digits in all but one game.
How many times has Dawn Staley beat Vic Schaefer?
Texas coach Vic Shaefer has the most recent win but South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has the overall record still, going into Sunday with a 14-4 advantage.
Before he became the 2025 SEC Coach of the Year with Texas, Schaefer spent the majority of his coaching career at Mississippi State, where he frequently battled Staley.
In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020, Staley beat Shaefer in the SEC tournament championship game. In 2019, Mississippi State beat South Carolina for the tournament title.
Key factors for South Carolina vs. Texas round three
-
Defense in the post: The height of Texas’ post players was way too much for South Carolina to handle in the loss. Staley subbed out two of her stars in Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards because of post defense and on Sunday, Staley will need to trust both of her star forwards on defense.
-
3-pointers: Texas beat South Carolina without a made 3-pointer. The Longhorns are at the bottom of the SEC in 3-point attempts so forcing Texas could rattle its offense.
-
Sania Feagin and Bree Hall in sync: What worked well in the win for South Carolina was Hall locked down Booker and Feagin helped weak side, which made it hard for Booker to distribute when she couldn’t create her own shot.
-
Consistent effort: The Longhorns are the No. 1 team in basketball and if South Carolina takes plays off or doesn’t go for every loose ball, Texas will capitalize. Rebounding and second chance baskets will also play a key role.
NCAA: South Carolina’s March Madness bracket prediction after win vs Oklahoma in SEC Tournament
South Carolina vs Texas SEC tournament championship score prediction
South Carolina 85, Texas: 77: The Gamecocks are take this game seriously and will come out on top.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina vs Texas score prediction for SEC tournament championship
