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03/08/26 04:23:00

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03/08 16:21 CDT No. 4 Texas beats No. 3 South Carolina 78-61 for its first women's SEC Tournament title No. 4 Texas beats No. 3 South Carolina 78-61 for its first women's SEC Tournament title By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) --- Madison Booker scored 18 points as No. 4 Texas sprinted to a 14-0 lead and beat three-time defending champion and third-ranked South Carolina 78-61 on Sunday to win its first Southeastern Conference Tournament title. Booker was named MVP of the tournament. Justice Carlton added 15 points and Jordan Lee had 12 for the Longhorns (31-3), who joined the SEC in 2024. Texas shot 57% from the field to avenge last year's 19-point loss to the Gamecocks in the championship game. Joyce Edwards had 13 points for the Gamecocks (31-3), who had their 12-game win streak snapped. The powerhouse programs split two tightly contested meetings earlier this season, with the Longhorns winning 66-64 at a neutral site in November and the Gamecocks earning a measure of revenge with a 68-65 win on their home floor in January. This one was never close. Texas made its first seven shots and led 14-0 after five early South Carolina turnovers before Tessa Johnson finally hit a 3 to get the Gamecocks on the board. Carlton outscored South Carolina by herself in the first quarter, finishing with 13 points as Texas built a 27-12 lead by shooting 68% from the field. With a large South Carolina crowd on hand, the Longhorns didn't let up, pushing the lead to 17 at the break --- the largest halftime deficit in the SEC Tournament for South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley. South Carolina managed to get within 11 with 5:22 left, but Lee answered with a 3 and later pushed the lead to 16 with a driving layup with two minutes left. Booker then sealed the Longhorns' eighth straight win with a jumper. The Gamecocks finished 12 of 23 from the free-throw line.

Up next Both teams are expected to be No. 1 seeds in the women's NCAA Tournament. ___ https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
 
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