Texas Longhorns' Season Ends In Final Four With Loss To South Carolina

South Carolina proves to be too much for the Texas Longhorns, ending their season in the Final Four

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Lee (7) during the NCAA semi-final game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Friday April 4, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TAMPA - The No. 1 Texas Longhorns could not have hoped for a better start than what they had in the Final Four against No. 1 South Carolina. But South Carolina edged its way back to win 74-57 and advance to the National Championship.

Texas opened the game almost perfectly, taking a 12-4 lead early with Madison Booker scoring six of those points. But Booker would quickly get into foul trouble, picking up three first-half fouls, leading her to sit for the majority of the second quarter.

With Booker on the bench, South Carolina edged its way back, taking a 38-35 lead at halftime. In Booker's place, freshman Jordan Lee shined, scoring 10 first-half points. Lee would finish the game with a team-high 16 points.

South Carolina forced the Longhorns into what they were trying to avoid, another single-digit quarter, allowing Texas to score just nine points while putting up 20 themselves. The Longhorns were unable to come back from the deficit, allowing the Gamecocks to pull away.

Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) looks for a way around defense from South Carolina Gamecocks during the NCAA semi-final game at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Friday April 4, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Booker getting into foul trouble was detrimental to the Longhorns as they were without her offensive production, and even with Lee stepping up, the Longhorns were unable to crack the Gamecocks. Senior point guard Rori Harmon put up eight points, doing her best to will the Texas offense to start.

The Longhorns went just 4-14 in the third quarter and while they didn't turn the ball over, they just couldn't get shots to fall. South Carolina, on the other hand, couldn't seem to miss. The Gamecocks went 9-16 in the third quarter.

In the second half, the Longhorns made just nine of 30 attempted shots. While Texas' usual game is out-working and out-shooting their opponents, South Carolina beat them at their own game. The Gamecocks made just seven more shots than Texas but made seven three-pointers.

Harmon did her best to shut down South Carolina's guards, but their sheer depth prevented her from locking them down. Te'Hina Pao-Pao finished with 14 points and freshman Joyce Edwards added 13 for the Gamecocks.

While this one will sting for the Longhorns, they made history as the first Texas team to make the Final Four since 2003 and won a record 35 games.