The third-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks advanced to the SEC women’s basketball tournament championship game after defeating sixth-seeded LSU 83-77 in Saturday’s semifinal matchup in Greenville, South Carolina.
Leading the way for South Carolina was Raven Johnson, who put up 22 points in the victory. Joyce Edwards contributed a double-double performance with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Ta’Niya Latson chipped in 19 points and Tessa Johnson added 11. The top-seeded Gamecocks improved to 30-2 on the season and extended their winning streak to 12 games.
For the fourth-seeded Tigers (27-4), MiLaysia Fulwiley led all scorers with 24 points, supported by Jada Richard’s 17 points and Mikaylah Williams’ 14. This marked LSU’s second loss to South Carolina in less than three weeks, following a 79-72 defeat on February 14 in Baton Rouge.
The game remained competitive throughout, with LSU opening the final quarter on a 9-4 run to even the score at 63 with seven minutes left on the clock. However, Edwards connected on a jumper that gave South Carolina what would be the decisive lead change in a contest that saw eight lead changes and nine ties.
In the second semifinal, fourth-ranked Texas dominated 24th-ranked Ole Miss 85-68 to earn their spot in the title game. Madison Booker delivered an outstanding performance with 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Longhorns’ attack.
Kyla Oldacre provided strong support with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Jordan Lee contributed 14 points for the third-seeded Longhorns (30-3), who will now face top-seeded South Carolina in Sunday afternoon’s championship contest.
The seventh-seeded Rebels (23-11) received balanced scoring from Denim DeShields and Cotie McMahon, who each tallied 20 points. Christeen Iwuala recorded 12 points and eight rebounds, and Latasha Lattimore added 10 points in the losing effort.
Texas built a 42-32 advantage at halftime but managed only 15 points in the third quarter, allowing Ole Miss to close the gap to 57-55 entering the final period. The Longhorns regained command with a decisive 12-4 run midway through the fourth quarter to seal their championship game berth.
