Texas Tops South Carolina to Claim First SEC Title in Program History

Greenville, South Carolina, isn’t an ideal place to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. But in the Southeastern Conference Championship on Sunday, location seemed irrelevant to the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team.

In fact, with the exception of claiming the title, everything seemed irrelevant to the Longhorns.

From start to finish, the intensity and the passion they brought to this matchup proved to be too suffocating for the Gamecocks to overcome.

Longhorns open dominantly

Mar 8, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Justice Carlton (11) drives to the basket past South Carolina Gamecocks guard Maddy McDaniel (1) during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Whatever head coach Vic Schaefer said to his team in the locker room before the game on Sunday, it worked. Texas outscored South Carolina 27-12 in the first quarter, opening the game with a 14-0 run.

Stunning the Gamecocks before they even had the chance to establish their ground, the Longhorns demonstrated their willingness to return to Austin as champions. At the forefront of this effort was sophomore forward Justice Carlton, who accumulated 13 points in the first quarter alone.

Schaefer has stressed to the media on multiple occasions that Carlton is one of the most physical high school players he has ever recruited, and she put her physical dominance on full display in Greenville in the championship. She quieted down after the first quarter, but her initial effort played a critical role in Texas’ ability to generate momentum.

Texas maintain possession and select strong shots

Texas Longhorns forward Jordan Le — Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Lee (7) shoots the ball past South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson (5) and South Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards (8) Sunday, March 8, 2026, during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Texas Longhorns won 78-61. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Longhorns turned the ball over nine times throughout the entire matchup, a number that is lower than that of several of their conference games. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, turned the ball over 14 times, also having a difficult time converting their shots.

They shot 47% on Sunday, going 3-12 from the 3-point line. Texas only made one more 3-pointer than South Carolina, but they also only racked up seven attempts, making their completion rate from outside the 3-point line 57%. In classic fashion, sophomore guard Jordan Lee was responsible for two of the Longhorns’ four 3-point shots.

The sophomore played 37 minutes for Texas against the Gamecocks, keeping her energy up throughout the matchup. Junior forward Madison Booker saw slightly less court time than she might have otherwise, having accumulated two fouls pretty early on.

However, Booker still finished the matchup with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists.

With the NCAA selection show set for March 15 at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN, fans will soon know exactly where their Longhorns stand amongst national competition. That being said, given how dominant they were in this conference tournament, many Texas supporters likely already have an idea of where this team will rank at the national level.