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No. 2 South Carolina knocked off No. 4 Texas 68-65 on Thursday night to earn a gritty, top-five win and avenge its loss from earlier this season.
Joyce Edwards led South Carolina with 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Raven Johnson scored 10 points and dished out six assists. Tessa Johnson scored 13 points (3-for-4 from the 3-point line), and Ta’Niya Latson scored 12 points to round out five double-figure scorers for the Gamecocks.
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Madison Booker led the Longhorns with a game-high 24 points and five rebounds, while Rori Harmon scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and dealt five assists.
The Gamecocks (18-1, 5-0 SEC) now move into a tie with Vanderbilt (18-0, 5-0 SEC) in the conference standings. Tennessee (12-3, 4-0 SEC) sits in third ahead of Texas (18-2, 3-2 SEC), which lost its second straight game Thursday after falling to No. 12 Iowa State on Sunday.
Raven Johnson’s late-game baskets boosted South Carolina. With 1:07 remaining, Johnson backed Harmon down in the post, made an up-and-under move and scored a layup to put the Gamecocks ahead 64-59 with 1:07 left. Moments later, Johnson connected on a floater in the lane with 23.1 seconds to give South Carolina a five-point cushion.
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The game was a slugfest as the two teams combined for 42 turnovers, but key players stepped up when their teams needed it most. Texas started strong, Booker scored seven points and Harmon six as the Gamecocks rolled to an early seven-point first-quarter lead. The Gamecocks, however, tied the game at 36 at halftime with a 9-2 run to close the half, sparked by Larson’s scoring efforts.
The Longhorns took a one-point lead into the fourth, but down the stretch, South Carolina flaunted its clutch gene. Gamecocks center Madina Okot hit a critical 3-pointer to give the Gamecocks a 61-57 lead with just under four minutes to play before Johnson scored her two straight baskets to seal the win.
In the first meeting between the two teams in November, the Longhorns snuck out of Las Vegas with a 66-64 win to claim the Players Era Championship when Harmon knocked in a game-winning floater. Texas handed South Carolina its first loss since falling to UConn in the NCAA title game in April 2025.
In the win two months ago, the Longhorns clawed their way out of an eight-point third-quarter deficit and outscored the Gamecocks 24-14 to seal it as Booker registered a near double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds.
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Johnson ensured Thursday night’s game would end with the Gamecocks finishing on top and protecting home court.
South Carolina will host Coppin State Sunday in a non-conference matchup, while Texas will try to end its two-game skid against Texas A&M.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Longhorns, Women's College Basketball
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