Payback is a Dish Best Served Gritty
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Revenge. It’s sweet, it’s savory, and apparently, on Thursday night at Colonial Life Arena, it was served with a side of 42 turnovers.
In a game that was less "basketball ballet" and more "greased watermelon wrestling match," the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks out-muscled the No. 4 Texas Longhorns 68-65. It was a gritty, sweaty, chaotic win that avenged their loss to Texas back in November—and proved that Dawn Staley’s squad has a "clutch gene" that activates specifically when the game turns into a street fight.
The "Raven" Revenge Tour
Let’s talk about Raven Johnson. With the game hanging in the balance and the tension thick enough to cut with a chainsaw, Johnson decided she was done being polite.
With just over a minute left, she took Texas star Rori Harmon into the post, hit her with an up-and-under move that belongs in an instructional VHS tape from 1995, and laid it in. A few seconds later? A floater in the lane to put the game on ice.
Johnson finished with 10 points and 6 assists, but those late buckets were basically her looking at the Longhorns and saying, "Not in my house. And definitely not twice."
A Beautiful Disaster
If you love pristine offensive execution, you might want to look away. These two heavyweights combined for 42 turnovers. It was like both teams were playing hot potato with a live grenade.
But amidst the chaos, stars emerged.
Joyce Edwards was a menace, leading SC with 14 points, 8 boards, and 3 steals.
Tessa Johnson decided the three-point line was her personal property, going 3-for-4 from deep for 13 points.
Ta’Niya Latson chipped in 12 points to help round out a balanced attack.
On the other side, Madison Booker (24 points) tried her absolute hardest to carry Texas on her back, but gravity eventually won.
The Plot Twist: Madina From Deep?!
The most "wait, what?" moment of the night came from Gamecocks center Madina Okot. With four minutes left, the big (who usually does her work in the paint) drifted out and drained a critical 3-pointer to give SC a 61-57 lead.
When your center is hitting clutch threes, the basketball gods are clearly wearing garnet and black.
The SEC Landscape
The win moves South Carolina to 18-1 (5-0 SEC), creating a tie atop the standings with the shockingly undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores (18-0). Meanwhile, Texas (18-2) has now dropped two straight games, having also lost to LSU on Sunday. The Longhorns are finding out the hard way that the SEC schedule is basically a weekly survival horror game.
What’s Next?
South Carolina gets a nice palate cleanser on Sunday against Coppin State, a game that should be significantly less stressful for Dawn Staley’s blood pressure.
Texas will try to stop the bleeding against Texas A&M. Advice to the Longhorns: Maybe try holding onto the ball? Just a thought.
