No. 2 South Carolina responded to its only blemish on Thursday night, knocking off No. 4 Texas 68-65 to maintain its lead in the SEC.
The Gamecocks (18-1, 5-0 SEC) avenged a 66-64 loss at Texas (18-2, 3-2 SEC) on Nov. 27 in the Player Era, where a last-second jumper by Longhorns guard Rory Harmon ruined their first meeting. This time, South Carolina controlled the final minutes behind a prepared defense to stop Texas’ brief comeback after the Longhorns’ first loss of the season last weekend.
Texas scored 14 first-half touchdowns, including five turnovers on its final five possessions, but had the best first-half game of the game, but evened the score at 32. Tessa Johnson’s 3-pointer sparked a 10-2 run early in the third quarter, but the Long Horns held both possessions and led 49-48 heading into the fourth.
Ladle upon bucket 🪣@MaddiewitdaB_ x @Jordan_lee0730 x @roriiiharmonnn #NCAAWBB x @TexasWBB pic.twitter.com/kXGWN9tQBF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 16, 2026
There have been nine lead changes in the last quarter. Forward Joyce Edwards hit a three-pointer with 4:12 left in the game for South Carolina, then center Madina Okot knocked down a layup to cut the lead to four with 3:32 left. The Gamecocks responded time and time again to Texas’ late push as guard Raven Johnson added a crucial layup in the final 90 seconds.
Edwards finished with a team-high 14 points, supported by four other players as South Carolina finished in double figures. Both teams struggled to keep the ball as Johnson and Okot each made key buckets and the Gamecocks turned the ball over several times in the final two minutes.
Texas cut the deficit to three twice in the final seconds, but couldn’t get a clean look to tie. The win kept South Carolina undefeated in SEC play, while the Longhorns dropped back-to-back ranked conference games.
. @NiyaLatson robbery here 💪#NCAAWBB x @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/7xtN8YAqzb
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) January 16, 2026
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