Texas Ends South Carolina’s SEC Title Run — But the Gamecocks Are Already Looking Toward March
The dream of another conference crown ended on Sunday as the fell to the in the championship game.
For a program accustomed to cutting down nets in March — and often in the SEC tournament as well — the loss was disappointing. But inside the locker room afterward, the tone was not panic. Instead, the players spoke about frustration, fatigue, and a clear determination to use the defeat as motivation heading into the NCAA tournament.
Freshman standout Joyce Edwards admitted the emotions were raw immediately after the final buzzer.
“I feel like we’re gonna use these emotions of frustration in practice to just get better.”
For Edwards and many of South Carolina’s younger players, the SEC tournament provided a first taste of how demanding postseason basketball can be.
That lesson was echoed by Agot Makeer, who just completed her first SEC tournament run.
“Playing those three games in a row, it’s hard on your body, but that’s what the tournament is gonna be like too.”
Her comment highlighted a key factor in the Gamecocks’ championship loss. South Carolina had battled through a physically demanding path to the final — including a hard-fought matchup with and an emotional rivalry clash with before meeting Texas.
By the time the championship arrived, fatigue was part of the equation.
Raven Johnson Opens up after South Carolina’s 17-point loss to Texas:
“You’re going to lose some. You’re not going to win everything. I mean it’s part of life. It’s called adversity…and when you lose, you gotta bounce back”
Guard Ta’Niya Latson acknowledged just how grueling that journey had been.
“Yeah you’ve hit it on the head, we’ve had some tough teams before this game,” Latson said with a smile and a chuckle. “Texas is a dogfight every time we play them, and they came out with a lot of energy. So obviously we didn’t come out as we wanted to.”
Still, even in defeat, the Gamecocks saw encouraging performances from younger contributors — something Latson made sure to highlight.
“Maddy played really solid… she handled the pressure, she drove to the basket, she showed up big when we needed her to,” Latson said. “Guardy coming in too, they played great defense… getting to the basket and giving us energy that we needed. And Ali coming in unafraid — she didn’t fear anything.”
The contributions of those players could become critical in the weeks ahead, as South Carolina prepares for the national tournament.
Forward Alicia Tournebize reflected on her own performance on one of the biggest stages of her young career.
“I tried to do my best — bring energy, do my best to help the team in the moment of down,” she said. “I applied the things I know… so it was hard.”
While some players expressed frustration, Maryam Dauda maintained an upbeat perspective — literally.
Even after the loss, she was still smiling when asked about her mindset.
“There’s nothing that could take this smile away,” Dauda said. “We still have a couple more games to finish the season out… we still have one thing in mind — winning the championship.”
That championship, of course, is the one that matters most: the .
Center Madina Okot emphasized how quickly the team must turn the page.
“We can’t let this loss affect us or stop whatever we need to do to prepare for the main games that are coming up.”
For a team coached by , that mentality is not surprising. The Gamecocks have built their reputation on resilience — using setbacks as fuel rather than excuses.
Sunday’s loss may have cost South Carolina another SEC trophy, but inside the locker room, the focus had already shifted forward.
March — and a much bigger prize — is still waiting.
