In Greenville, South Carolina, the expectations for this year’s SEC Championship were challenging for Coach Dawn Staley and her team at the University of South Carolina due to the inclusion of Texas and Oklahoma in the competition. However, the reality on the court told a different story. The fifth-ranked Gamecocks showcased their prowess throughout the tournament. Chloe Kitts, who was crowned the Tournament MVP, scored 15 points and secured nine rebounds, while Tessa Johnson contributed 14 points. The Gamecocks completed a decisive three-day performance by outplaying top-seeded Texas with a score of 64-45 on Sunday. This victory marked their third consecutive Southeastern Conference Tournament title and the ninth in 11 years under Coach Staley’s leadership.
Coach Staley expressed immense pride in her team, recognizing their consistent high-level performance. In addition to Kitts, Sania Feagin and Joyce Edwards each added 11 points, reinforcing South Carolina’s strong case for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks convincingly secured their tournament wins with margins of 21, 18, and 19 points, defeating newcomer teams like Oklahoma and Texas. Neither team seemed prepared to match South Carolina’s intensity on the court.
Dominating from the start, South Carolina (30-3) never fell behind and took control with a 19-2 surge at the beginning of the second quarter, leading to a 33-16 advantage at halftime through impressive defense. Their lead expanded to 21 points early in the fourth quarter, ensuring they were never challenged again. Texas coach Vic Schaefer acknowledged his team’s struggle to break South Carolina’s momentum. This encounter further extended Staley’s winning record against Schaefer to 5-0 in SEC title games, with previous victories occurring when he led Mississippi State.
Chloe Kitts had an outstanding tournament run, averaging 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and shooting an impressive 74% from the field. Nonetheless, the Gamecocks thrived on the collective efforts of their roster, showcasing a robust defense that limited Texas’ All-American Madison Booker to 10 points on inefficient shooting. This defensive effort also ended Texas’ 15-game-winning streak as the Gamecocks forced their opponents into 18 turnovers. Taylor Jones and Rori Harmon led the scoring for the Longhorns (31-3) with 14 points each. Reflecting on the loss, Harmon remarked on needing to refine from their mistakes, though the defeat would linger in their memories.
Coach Schaefer maintained hope for his team being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, asserting that one setback does not encapsulate their entire season. Texas’s early struggles were reflected in 11 first-half turnovers and a lackluster shooting percentage of 30% throughout the game. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks thrived in their element, experiencing an impressive track record in Greenville’s SEC Tournament games, situated merely 90 minutes from their home base. The supporters’ energy felt akin to a home crowd for South Carolina.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Feagin made a crucial lob pass to Kitts, sparking a 15-0 run at the outset of the second quarter. South Carolina outperformed their SEC Tournament rivals significantly in the second quarter with an aggregate score of 67-27. Looking ahead, both South Carolina and Texas are anticipated to enter the NCAA Tournament with No. 1 seeds.
