South Carolina and Texas Set for SEC Tournament Championship Showdown
The SEC Tournament championship game is set, as No. 1 seed South Carolina prepares to face No. 2 seed Texas on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
How They Got Here
The Longhorns secured their spot in the title game with a 56-49 victory over No. 3 LSU in the semifinals on Saturday. Meanwhile, South Carolina dominated No. 5 Oklahoma 93-75 to advance.
Game Details
- Matchup: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Texas
- Time: 3 p.m. ET, Sunday
- Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+ and the ESPN app
- Radio: 107.5 FM (Columbia area)
Season Series: Tied at 1-1
While South Carolina and Texas have only faced off a handful of times in program history, they’ve gotten quite familiar with each other this season.
The Gamecocks won the first meeting 67-50 in Columbia back in January, but Texas responded with a 66-62 win in Austin last month. With both teams finishing 15-1 in SEC play, a coin flip determined the tournament seeding, giving South Carolina the No. 1 spot and Texas the No. 2 seed.
Sunday’s championship clash marks the third and final meeting of the season between the two powerhouse programs.
Vic Schaefer on Facing South Carolina
Despite Texas making its first-ever appearance in the SEC Tournament final, this isn’t Vic Schaefer’s first experience in the spotlight. The Longhorns’ head coach led Mississippi State to the conference championship game five times in eight seasons, facing South Carolina in four of those matchups—all of which the Gamecocks won.
“I’ve been in that game a lot and against that team a lot,” Schaefer said. “They’re gonna have the crowd. It’s a home game for them. We have a strong contingent of Longhorn fans here, which I appreciate.”
Schaefer is even considering skipping Texas’ Sunday morning shootaround to ensure his team is well-rested.
“If you don’t have your physical body tomorrow, your frame and your well-being, then you’ve got no chance against South Carolina,” he admitted.
While acknowledging the Gamecocks’ home-court advantage, Schaefer is focused on the bigger picture.
“You’re playing a great team,” he said. “They’ve been No. 1 this year, No. 1 last year, and No. 1 before that. We know what happened the first time. We know what it took the second time to win. We’re a different team now than we were back in Columbia, so this is a great opportunity.”
Texas’ Star to Watch: Madison Booker
Madison Booker has been the heart of Texas’ offense, earning SEC Player of the Year and a spot on the All-SEC First Team. She leads the Longhorns with 16.1 points per game and has shown she can rise to the occasion.
After scoring just seven points in the first meeting against South Carolina, she bounced back with 20 points in Austin and delivered a 25-point performance against LSU in the semifinals.
South Carolina’s Dominance in the SEC Tournament
The Gamecocks have been a powerhouse in the SEC Tournament, winning eight championships—all under Dawn Staley in the last decade.
Since joining the SEC in 1991-92, South Carolina holds an overall 36-25 record in the tournament. Under Staley, they have been even more dominant, going 33-8.
When playing in Greenville, South Carolina has been nearly unstoppable, boasting a 17-1 record since 2017. Their only loss at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in that span came in the 2019 SEC quarterfinals against Arkansas.
A Championship Battle Awaits
With both teams splitting the season series and Texas hungry for its first SEC Tournament title, Sunday’s championship matchup promises to be an intense showdown between two of the nation’s best. Will South Carolina continue its dominance, or will Texas break through and claim the crown?
