If you were looking for the south carolina women's score on Thursday night, you probably saw 68-65 and thought, "Oh, another close one." But honestly? That doesn't even begin to cover the absolute chaos that went down at Colonial Life Arena. This wasn't just a regular season win. It was a heavyweight grudge match against No. 4 Texas that felt more like a Final Four preview than a mid-January conference game.
Dawn Staley’s squad basically spent the first ten minutes looking like they’d forgotten how to play basketball. They were turning the ball over, missing free throws, and letting Texas’s full-court press eat them alive. At the end of the first quarter, the Gamecocks were down 20-13. The crowd was restless. You could feel the "here we go again" energy in the building, especially since Texas was the only team to hand South Carolina a loss earlier this season.
The Night the South Carolina Women's Score Defied the Odds
South Carolina is now 18-1. Let that sink in. Their only blemish was a two-point loss to these same Longhorns back in November. So, when Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson started heating up in the second half, it wasn't just about getting points on the board. It was about proving that the November loss was a fluke.
The turning point was kinda wild. Texas had a lead for most of the first half, shooting a blistering 50% from the floor. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks were clanking shots, hovering around 34%. But Dawn Staley doesn't panic. She just waits for her "big drip" energy to take over. By halftime, they’d clawed back to a 32-32 tie, thanks to some gritty free-throw shooting from Edwards.
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How the Gamecocks Pulled It Off
It wasn’t pretty. Sometimes winning isn’t about being the best shooter; it’s about surviving the other team’s best punch. Here is how the scoring breaks down for those who missed the play-by-play:
- Joyce Edwards: The sophomore is a literal cheat code. She finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds, looking like a veteran out there.
- Tessa Johnson: Hit three massive 3-pointers. One of them tied the game at 55 with seven minutes left, and you could practically hear the roof pop off the arena.
- Raven Johnson: She might only be 5'8", but she played like she was 7 feet tall in the fourth. Her consecutive layups in the final minutes were the daggers Texas couldn't recover from.
- Madina Okot: The senior center drained a three-pointer with 3:32 left to put South Carolina up 61-57. When your 6'5" center starts hitting from deep, the other team is basically finished.
Why This Specific Score Matters for the Rankings
Currently, South Carolina is ranked No. 2 in the country. The only team ahead of them in the SEC? That would be the 18-0 Vanderbilt Commodores. Yeah, you read that right. Vanderbilt is having a historic run, which makes every south carolina women's score moving forward a must-watch event. If the Gamecocks want that No. 1 seed and the SEC regular-season title, they can't afford to slip up against the mid-tier teams.
The Texas win was "revenge," sure, but it was also a survival test. Texas forced 20 turnovers. Twenty! In most universes, if you turn the ball over 20 times against a top-5 team, you lose by double digits. But South Carolina’s defense is so suffocating—ranking 4th nationally in defensive rating—that they limited the damage. They only allowed Texas to score two points off turnovers in the entire fourth quarter. That is elite-level composure.
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A Look at the Upcoming Schedule
The road doesn't get much easier. If you're tracking the team's progress, here is what the immediate future looks like for the Gamecocks:
- January 18 at Coppin State: This is the final non-conference tune-up. Expect a blowout, but it's a good chance to see freshman Alicia Tournebize get more minutes.
- January 22 at Oklahoma: This is the real test. The Sooners are ranked No. 13 and playing in Norman is never easy.
- January 25 vs. Vanderbilt: Mark your calendars. This is likely for the top spot in the SEC.
The Freshman Factor and Depth
One thing nobody talks about enough is how young this core actually is. We’re so used to seeing Dawn Staley win that we forget she’s doing this with sophomores like Joyce Edwards and Maddy McDaniel taking on huge roles. Even Agot Makeer, the freshman guard, came off the bench to hit two massive buckets in the third quarter when the offense was stalling.
Texas's Madison Booker dropped 24 points and was clearly the best player on the floor for long stretches. But South Carolina won because they have five or six players who can hurt you. You can shut down Ta'Niya Latson (who had a quiet night), but then Tessa Johnson will burn you from the corner. It's a "pick your poison" situation that most coaches in the SEC just haven't figured out yet.
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What to Watch for Next
If you're following the south carolina women's score closely, keep an eye on the free-throw percentage. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster. Against Texas, they missed some crucial ones early that kept the Longhorns in the game. In a tournament setting, those misses are the difference between a trophy and a bus ride home.
Also, keep an eye on the turnover margin. Coach Staley was visibly frustrated with the 8 turnovers in the third quarter alone. As they head into the meat of the SEC schedule, playing "clean" basketball is going to be the priority. They have the talent to out-talent almost anyone, but they can't beat themselves.
Practical Steps for Gamecock Fans
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, don't just check the final score.
- Watch the first-quarter splits: The Gamecocks have been slow starters lately. If they don't fix the early-game jitters, a team like LSU or Vanderbilt will bury them before halftime.
- Follow the injury report: With the intensity of the SEC, depth is everything. Seeing how Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda rotate in the paint will tell you a lot about the team's fatigue levels.
- Check the AP Poll on Mondays: After beating No. 4 Texas, there’s a real chance South Carolina jumps back to No. 1 if the current leaders stumble even slightly.
The victory over Texas wasn't just a win; it was a statement. South Carolina proved they could take the best punch from a title contender and still be standing when the lights went down. 68-65. It's a score that’s going to be remembered when the brackets are drawn in March.