South Carolina Outlasts Texas 68 to 65 in SEC Showdown, Avenges Only Loss of Season

No. 2 South Carolina delivered a defining Southeastern Conference statement Thursday night, holding off No. 4 Texas 68 to 65 at Colonial Life Arena to secure its 11th consecutive win and remain unbeaten in league play.

Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 14 points and 8 rebounds, anchoring a balanced offensive effort as South Carolina improved to 18 and 1 overall and 5 and 0 in the SEC. Tessa Johnson added 13 points, while Raven Johnson provided late game control, scoring 6 of her 10 points in the fourth quarter and finishing with a team high 6 assists.

The victory served as a direct response to South Carolina’s lone loss of the season, a 65 to 64 setback against Texas on November 27 at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. That meeting was classified as a non conference game, but Thursday’s rematch carried major conference and postseason implications.

Texas, now 18 and 2 overall and 3 and 2 in SEC play, was led by Madison Booker’s game high 24 points. Rori Harmon added 16 points, but the Longhorns struggled from the perimeter, finishing 1 for 9 from three point range against South Carolina’s disciplined defense.

The game featured sustained back and forth action with 10 lead changes and 8 ties, reflecting the evenly matched nature of two national title contenders. Neither team built more than a two possession cushion until the closing minutes.

Edwards delivered the pivotal sequence with 4 minutes and 12 seconds remaining, driving to the basket and completing a three point play to give South Carolina a 58 to 57 lead. On the next critical possession, Madina Okot knocked down a three pointer, just her third of the season, extending the lead and shifting momentum.

Raven Johnson continued to control the tempo down the stretch, slipping free for a layup with 1 minute and 7 seconds remaining to push the lead to five. After Booker answered with a putback, Johnson responded again, hitting a short jumper with 23 seconds left to restore the cushion and seal the outcome.

Johnson accounted for scoring or assisting on 12 of South Carolina’s 18 fourth quarter points, reinforcing her role as the Gamecocks’ primary closer. Her 6 assists moved her into fifth place on the program’s all time career assists list.

Okot finished with 10 points, giving South Carolina five starters in double figures. Seven of the nine Gamecocks who played scored, underscoring the depth that continues to define the program under head coach Dawn Staley.

Thursday also marked the South Carolina debut of Alicia Tournebize, a 6 foot 7 center from France who joined the program midseason after playing professionally with Tango Bourges Basket in France’s top league. Tournebize played 5 minutes and did not score but received a standing ovation upon entering the game.

For Texas, head coach Vic Schaefer’s group matched South Carolina’s physicality and defensive intensity for much of the night but could not overcome perimeter inefficiency and late turnovers. Despite the loss, the Longhorns remain firmly positioned among the SEC and national contenders.

South Carolina’s latest win further strengthens its conference standing and NCAA Tournament resume as the schedule intensifies. Texas will look to rebound as league play continues, with both teams expected to factor prominently into postseason seeding discussions as March approaches.