The Texas Longhorns had fought their way to the SEC Championship game and had to face the powerhouse South Carolina Gamecocks for a third time during their first season in their new conference.
After the first quarter, Texas trailed the Gamecocks by just two points and the Longhorns' head coach Vic Schaefer was proud of his team, despite having a few notes for improvements.
"We wanted to get through the first five minutes, and after that, it’s a ball game," Schaefer said. "All the emotion and all that goes away."
The Texas head coach went on to say that the Horns had to work on turnovers and keeping the ball in front of them while on the defensive end of the court. However, Schaefer repeatedly expressed pride for his players and his team.
The 2025 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament was played in Greenville, SC, just a couple of hours away from the Gamecocks' home in Columbia and more than a half day's drive from the Horns' home in Austin.
"It’s a road game, isn’t it?" Scahefer said after the first quarter. "Just comes with the territory, playing in the SEC Tournament, but I’m proud of our kids."
Sophomore forward Madison Booker, who had a career night agains the LSU Tigers to help advance Texas to the championship, struggled during the first quarter, shooting 0 percent from the field. Center Taylor Jones led the Horns in scoring with just four points as guard Rori Harmon, guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, and center Kyla Oldacre scored two points each.
Turnovers and sloppy shooting plagued the Horns' start to their first-ever SEC Championship game appearance, mistakes that Schaefer had highlighted as needing improvement earlier in the tournament.