Here we go again! In their inaugural season in the SEC, the Texas Longhorns have rapidly established themselves as a compelling rival to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Both teams completed their regular season with identical 15-1 conference records. A coin flip granted South Carolina the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, despite Texas holding the top national ranking.
In the regular season, the head-to-head matchups between the two teams was intense. In January, South Carolina dominated at home with a 67-50 victory. However, a few weeks later, Texas gave the Gamecocks their sole loss, 66-62, snapping South Carolina's 57-game SEC regular season winning streak.
And here we are again, with South Carolina and Texas facing each other in the paint this time for the SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET in Greenville, S.C.
In the previous meeting, South Carolina's loss to Texas highlighted the need for multiple scorers. While the depth in Dawn Staley's team is deep, the Gamecocks will need their star players to step up in order to take the trophy home.
MiLaysia Fulwiley, the SEC Sixth Player of the Year, showed out in Saturday's game over Oklahoma, scoring 19 points with five assists in 21 minutes. The Gamecocks won, 93-75 to win the semifinals and advance to the Championship game. Freshman star Joyce Edwards also shined, leading the team with 21 points. The key to winning on Sunday will be getting points on the board early by jumpstarting South Carolina's fast-break offense before Texas can kickstart their top-tier defense.
Defense will also be crucial for the Gamecocks to win the championship game as well. Texas has dominated in the glass in the last two meetings against South Carolina, grabbing 20 offensive boards in the first game and 15 in the last matchup.
With Texas and South Carolina both securing a victory against the other in the regular season, the championship game promises to be a decisive battle for conference supremacy. The outcome will not only crown the SEC Tournament champion but will also set the tone for the NCAA Tournament.
Game Info
Matchup: No. 2 Texas (31-2, 15-1) vs. No. 1 South Carolina (29-3, 15-1)
Date: Sunday, March 9
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC
TV: ESPN