Texas halts South Carolina's reign, wins first SEC tournament title 78-61

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns have won their first Southeastern Conference women's basketball tournament title, defeating the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks 78-61 on Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina The victory ended South Carolina’s three-year reign as conference tournament champions

Texas established its dominance from the opening tip-off, starting the game with a commanding 14-0 run from which the Gamecocks could not recover The final Texas South Carolina women's basketball score of 78-61 reflects the Longhorns' control throughout the contest

Freshman forward Madison Booker was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for her outstanding performance Booker led Texas in the championship game with 18 points Her efforts were consistent across the entire SEC women's basketball tournament 2026, where she averaged 20 points per game while shooting an efficient 61% from the field over three games The Longhorns' offensive attack was further bolstered by a 15-point contribution from Justice Carlton, providing critical support in the historic win

For South Carolina, the loss marked a decisive end to their recent conference tournament dominance. The result positions Texas as a formidable force heading into the national championship tournament, having decisively beaten a top-ranked opponent on a neutral court to claim the conference crown