Allowing 17 turnovers, shooting just 29.6 percent from the field, and committing 11 personal fouls is a recipe for... a loss, which is exactly what the Texas women's basketball team suffered when the Longhorns faced the South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC Women's Basketball Championship.
At halftime, Texas already trailed by 17 points after scoring just 16 points of its own, the fewest first-half points by the AP No. 1 team in the last decade. By the end of regulation, the Horns were sent packing after suffering a 64-45 loss to South Carolina.
final | TEX 45 SC 64
— Texas Women's Basketball (@TexasWBB) March 9, 2025
It was a shockingly sloppy performance by the Longhorns, who had dominated their conference opponents throughout the regular season, other than their one loss to the Gamecocks earlier this year. The turnovers, sloppy defense, and an apparent lack of energy led to South Carolina easily surpassing Texas on both ends of the court.
After the first quarter, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer restated the importance of minimizing those mistakes, something that the Horns were able to improve during their semifinal matchup against the LSU Tigers. However, Texas couldn't fix enough mistakes against SC.
Also read: Vic Schaefer highlights Texas' mistakes as the Horns lead LSU 40-36 in SEC Tournament
South Carolina was far from perfect in the matchup, but the Gamecocks' three extra hours of rest, having played the earlier semifinal game on Saturday, and experience in the SEC Championship seemed to pay off.
The Gamecocks shot 42.9 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from beyond the arc, more than doubling the Horns' success rate from three-point range.
Texas entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed despite being the No. 1 team in the country due to the outcome of a coin toss. Because of this, South Carolina had more rest between its matchups, and the team looked more energetic throughout the championship game.
The loss most likely won't knock the Longhorns out of a No. 1 seed in March Madness, but it almost certainly secures that seeding for South Carolina. Selection Sunday for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on March 16.