Texas-South Carolina takeaways: Gamecocks cruise to title game

South Carolina Gamecocks begin to celebrate in the fourth quarter during the NCAA semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, Friday April 4, 2025. The Longhorns lost 74-57 to South Carolina. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas-South Carolina takeaways: Gamecocks cruise into title game

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 9:48 PM ET

In a highly anticipated fourth matchup of the season on Friday between the Texas Longhorns and South Carolina Gamecocks, the Lady Gamecocks used a monstrous second half to advance to their second straight national championship game.

South Carolina will now have a chance to be the first team to win back-to-back national championships since UConn won four straight titles from 2013-2016.

With that said, here are three takeaways from South Carolina's 74-57 win.

READY TO CLAIM IT.@GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/SnF5Um9JlZ
— Gamecock Athletics (@GamecocksOnline) April 5, 2025

Madison Booker disappeared (again)

Booker was a star in the Longhorns' lone win over the Gamecocks in the regular season, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

After just 11 points in Friday's loss, Booker combined for just 28 points and 18 rebounds in Texas' three losses to South Carolina.

She scored 17-plus points in six of her last games to end the season, with the only two under that coming against the Gamecocks.

Joyce Edwards was the best player on the court

Edwards scored 22 points against Tennessee Tech in the Round of 64 and then combined for just 15 points in the next three games.

She regained her confidence before Friday's game and finished with a stat line of 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and one steal.

Joyce Edwards is the second freshman in Final Four history with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a game, and first since Maryland's Marissa Coleman in 2006
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 5, 2025

Texas was lucky to beat South Carolina once

When looking at the four contests between the two teams this season, South Carolina won its three games by 17, 19 and 17. Texas won its one game by only four.

It appears that the Longhorns were extremely fortunate to end South Carolina's 57-game winning streak back in February. Not to take anything away from the outstanding season that Texas had, but South Carolina was clearly the better team all season long.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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