No. 2 South Carolina survives No. 4 Texas to stay atop the SEC

No. 2 South Carolina held off No. 4 Texas in a tense SEC showdown, grinding out a 68–65 victory Thursday night in Columbia to keep its conference dominance intact.

Jan 15, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Lee (7) steals the ball from South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Joyce Edwards led the way for the Gamecocks with 14 points and eight rebounds, proving especially reliable at the foul line where she converted 8 of 9 attempts. Tessa Johnson added 13 points, while Ta’Niya Latson chipped in 12. Raven Johnson finished with 10 points and six assists, and Madina Okot contributed 10 points and five boards in a balanced team effort.

For Texas, which suffered consecutive losses for the first time since 2022, Madison Booker poured in a game-high 24 points. Rori Harmon followed with 16, and Jordan Lee scored 10 before fouling out late. The Longhorns fell to 18-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play.

The contest remained tight throughout, with South Carolina finally pulling level at 55-55 when Tessa Johnson buried a right-wing three with 6:42 remaining. Edwards then took control, scoring on a layup and knocking down a free throw to give the Gamecocks a slim lead. Okot stretched the margin further with a wide-open three-pointer — just her third make from deep this season — pushing South Carolina in front by multiple possessions.

Raven Johnson’s crafty layup with 1:07 left marked the Gamecocks’ largest lead of the night at five points, and they held firm down the stretch to avoid their first home loss to an SEC opponent since 2019.

Texas had set the early tone, closing the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 20-13 lead. Booker sparked the surge by grabbing her own miss and scoring, while Teya Sidberry capped it with a fast-break bucket. That seven-point edge was the Longhorns’ biggest advantage of the game.

South Carolina responded before halftime, ending the second quarter with a 7-0 run to send the teams into the break tied at 32. The Gamecocks capitalized on Texas mistakes, scoring 14 of their 19 second-quarter points off 10 Longhorn turnovers.

Both teams struggled with ball security in a physical, defense-heavy matchup. Texas committed a season-high 22 turnovers, while South Carolina wasn’t far behind with 20. Free throws proved decisive, as the Gamecocks attempted twice as many as the Longhorns (26 to 13) and converted 18, compared to Texas’ 12.

The game also marked the debut of 6-foot-7 Alicia Tournebize for South Carolina. The French newcomer drew attention during warm-ups with a powerful one-handed dunk, though she logged just five minutes of action in her first appearance.

The win lifted South Carolina to 18-1 overall and a perfect 5-0 in SEC play, reinforcing its status as the team to beat in the conference.