South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and Texas head coach Vic Schaefer are used to playing each other with a lot at stake. 

During his time as head coach at Mississippi State, Schaefer’s Bulldogs faced Staley’s Gamecocks four times in the SEC championship game and once in the national championship. 

Staley came out on top in all five of those games. Schaefer, now at Texas, looked to earn his first championship win over Staley last weekend as his Longhorns faced the Gamecocks in the SEC title match. 

The game was never in doubt. 

The Gamecocks built a lead early and coasted to the finish to defeat No. 1 ranked Texas 64-45 for the team’s third straight SEC tournament title and Staley’s sixth championship win over Schaefer. 

South Carolina and Texas met for the third time this season during the championship match. The two were named co-champions of the regular season after splitting their two-game series. 

The Gamecocks were considered the “home team” in this game after winning a coin toss to earn the SEC’s No. 1 overall seed. However, the contest was played on a neutral court, with the SEC tournament being held at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. 

This game was much closer to their first meeting than the second, as South Carolina dominated the entire game. The Gamecocks' defense overwhelmed Texas, especially in the first half. The Longhorns’ 45 points marked the lowest scoring game for any team in SEC title game history. 

“It was what we needed today,” Staley said after the game. “I think we needed to play a lot better than the last time that we played them.”

South Carolina entered the game knowing what they had to do. Many players on the team have been in this position before after winning the tournament the past two years. 

Chloe Kitts led the way, scoring a game-high 15 points and nine rebounds. She was awarded tournament MVP after averaging 17 points and eight rebounds in the team’s three games. 

Tessa Johnson was the team’s second-leading scorer, finishing with 14 points off the bench. Sania Feagin and Joyce Edwards added 11 to round things out. 

“I do think we used our experience being here to our advantage. I know Feag has been here a lot. Chloe has been here a lot. Raven has been here a lot. Breezy has been here a lot,” Staley said. “It’s just different playing on this Sunday. If you haven’t really experienced it, you need to experience it.”

The Longhorns went toe toe-to-toe with South Carolina in every quarter, except the second. 

South Carolina led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. The team gained major separation in the second period after holding Texas to just six points. 

The Longhorns struggled to find clean looks at the basket and did not score a bucket until there was 3:30 left in the half. By then, South Carolina had already built a 17-point lead and was in firm control.

Texas could not make a dent in the Gamecocks' large second quarter lead as both teams traded blows in the third and fourth quarters. The team’s struggles late in the first half were just too much to overcome. 

Longhorn star Madision Booker was held to 10 points on 4-13 shooting. It was the second time this season the Gamecocks held her under her season average, holding her to seven points on 3-19 shooting in the first meeting. 

The win marks the ninth time South Carolina has won the SEC tournament. All of those wins have come under Staley. All of those have come in the past 11 years. 

This was one of the most dominant runs to the title for the team, winning its three games by an average of 19 points. The team beat Vanderbilt 84-63, Oklahoma 93-75 and Texas 64-45. 

“The stress levels were up for the three games,” Staley said. “I thought we put our habits out there on the floor for three games. It wasn’t perfect basketball, but I think we were in it for longer stretches.”

South Carolina will now shift focus to the NCAA tournament as the team tries to win its fourth national championship and third in the past four years. The team does not yet know who they will play, as Selection Sunday is not until this weekend. 

The Gamecocks are all but guaranteed to host the first two rounds, but Staley said she wants to see the team rewarded with more than just that. 

“When you win this tournament, and you play the schedule that we played, I do think we’re the No. 1 overall seed,” Staley said.  “I just hope the committee doesn’t discount our entire résumé. There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we’ve played, that’s won this, that had a share of the regular season. Then, winning the tournament, having beaten the No. 1 team in the country.”

The NCAA tournament selection show will be on March 16 at 8 p.m. It will be broadcast on ESPN.