GREENVILLE, S.C. — Vic Schaefer challenged his players to throw the first punch on Sunday. They did. And then they threw another, and another, and another for good measure, and they did not stop until they had won the SEC.
A final score of 78–61 does not quite capture what No. 4 Texas did to No. 3 South Carolina to win the SEC conference tournament on Sunday. It shows that it was the biggest loss of the year for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks. But the number alone does not fully illustrate the overpowering nature of this victory. Texas became the rare team able to make South Carolina uncomfortable to the point of looking unrecognizable. It was an effort that underscored a larger truth here.
