Dawn Staley entered the Moody Center on the University of Texas campus Sunday hoping that her South Carolina women’s basketball team would extend its SEC winning streak and her beloved Philadelphia Eagles would beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
She left the arena with only the Eagles’ dreams still alive.
Behind all-American forward Madison Booker, who had a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, No. 6 Texas defeated Staley’s No. 2 Gamecocks 66-62 Sunday, ending South Carolina’s 57-game SEC winning streak.
Before Sunday, the Gamecocks, the reigning national champions, hadn’t lost to a conference opponent in the regular season since December 2021, when they fell 70-69 on the road in overtime against Missouri.
The loss was just the second of the season for South Carolina, ending a 17-game win streak that began after its Nov. 24 loss to a UCLA team that has since risen up to No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Along with Booker, Kyla Oldacre and Taylor Jones finished in double figures for Texas, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively. Jones also had a game-high four steals.
It was the eighth consecutive win for the Longhorns, who improved to 24-2 overall and 10-1 in SEC play, tying them with South Carolina atop the league standings. The Gamecocks had won the previous matchup between the programs this season, defeating Texas 67-50 on Jan. 12 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Though Booker didn’t shoot particularly well, making only seven of her 22 attempts from the field, her rebounding ended many of South Carolina’s possessions on a day in which it shot just 36.8% overall and 26.3% from 3-point range.
She provided timely baskets, too, none of which were more important than a 3-point play with 5:09 remaining in the fourth quarter that stretched Texas’ lead from two to five. After making the layup, and before heading to the free-throw line, she threw a “Horns Up” hand sign to the ESPN camera along the baseline.
“Last time, we got out-toughed,” Booker said in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “This time, we out-toughed them today. We won all the battles.”
With Staley, a Philadelphia native, on the bench wearing a Super Bowl 59 Eagles hoodie, South Carolina missed eight of its final 10 shots, including a Tessa Johnson layup attempt that would have tied the game with 15 seconds remaining, but sailed over the top of the backboard trying to avoid the outstretched reach of Longhorns guard Jordan Lee. Rori Harmon calmly sank two free throws on the other end to seal the victory for Texas.
MiLaysia Fulwiley was the only South Carolina player to finish in double figures, scoring 13 points and snagging three steals.
The Longhorns and Gamecocks are two of four SEC teams with just one loss in conference play, a group that also includes No. 4 LSU and No. 11 Kentucky. South Carolina has no games remaining against LSU, but will wrap up its regular season on March 2 against Kentucky. Texas, meanwhile, plays both the Wildcats and Tigers this week, traveling to Kentucky on Thursday before hosting LSU next Sunday.
Like its male counterpart, SEC women’s basketball has been excellent this season, with eight teams in the top 25 of the latest Coaches Poll, including three of the top six and four of the top 11.