Texas ends S. Carolina's 57-game SEC win streak

AUSTIN, Texas -- Elena Lovato, Texas' assistant coach, made a bold statement to head coach Vic Schaefer last month after the Longhorns were overwhelmed in a 17-point loss to South Carolina.

"[She] looked at me and said, 'We will beat them in a month,'" Schaefer said Sunday. "And that's God's honest truth."

The No. 4 Longhorns made the most of their national television game on Super Bowl Sunday and won their rematch with No. 2 South Carolina 66-62, a victory that ended the Gamecocks' 57-game winning streak in regular-season Southeastern Conference games dating to December 2021.

The Longhorns' victory forged a three-way tie atop the SEC standings with the Gamecocks and LSU, all at 10-1.

South Carolina (22-2) had won 17 straight since losing to top-ranked UCLA on Nov. 24. The Gamecocks arrived with confidence and Dawn Staley sported a Super Bowl sweatshirt in support of her hometown Philadelphia Eagles, who would defeat the Kansas City Chiefs later in the day in New Orleans for the NFL title.

Texas' Madison Booker scored 20 points and Rori Harmon hit two critical free throws in the final seconds to secure the Longhorns' eighth straight win and 20th in a row at home since January 2024.

Staley, per usual, considered the bigger picture of her sport.

"Great atmosphere," Staley said. "It's great for women's basketball, probably great for TV. Close game, great for our game. It's just unfortunate somebody had to lose."

Texas (24-2) was never in the first game against South Carolina, shooting a season-low 28%. On Sunday, the Longhorns shot 44%. They outrebounded the Gamecocks 42-35, outscored them 40-26 in the paint and 19-12 in second-chance points.

"It took tremendous toughness to win that game," Schaefer said. "They earned it. I don't have to tell you how good that team is we played today. In my mind, they're the No. 1 team in the country. And I mean no disrespect to UCLA."

Booker converted just 3 of 19 shots during the loss at South Carolina. She shot better in the rematch against South Carolina's tough defense, hitting 7 of 22 shots, and grabbing 11 rebounds, including a critical one late in the game.

"It's my job to rebound," Booker said. "I should be down there."

Booker, a sophomore, is not just Texas' best player, she's the most versatile. Normally a small forward, the 6-foot-1 Booker moved to point guard last season, replacing Harmon after she sustained a season-ending knee injury. Texas recently lost starting power forward Aaliyah Moore to a knee injury, and now Booker has asserted herself more as a rebounder.

"She was a beast on the boards," Staley said.

Texas centers Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre combined for 24 points and 12 rebounds.

"That's my two-headed monster," Schaefer said.

Schaefer proudly put them on display for a national audience.

"It makes me really happy to be a part of that," Harmon said. "The history and just this movement with women's basketball. To be able to have this game, like a little pre-[Super Bowl] game. I think that's so cool."