Longhorns face South Carolina in women's Final Four
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Madison Booker in a triumphant moment during the Longhorns' Elite Eight matchup. Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The University of Texas women's basketball team faces favored South Carolina Friday night in the national semifinals.
Why it matters: UT is and will remain a football school, but if the women's team pulls an upset and goes on to win a national title Sunday, basketball will be king for a day.
The intrigue: The Longhorns split two regular season games against South Carolina.
- The Gamecocks beat the Longhorns 64-45 in the SEC championship game in March.
- But South Carolina has appeared vulnerable its last two games, requiring fourth-quarter rallies to eke out four-point wins.
What we're watching: If Madison Booker, one of five finalists for national player of the year, has a big night.
- With her easy, sweet stroke, Booker's the focal point of the Texas offense, and South Carolina will be doing everything it can to shut her down.
- The forward is averaging 18.8 points and grabbing 8 rebounds per game thus far in the NCAA tournament — and shooting over 50% from the field.
The other side: South Carolina's bench will be key to its chances.
- Keep an eye on MiLaysia Fulwiley, a guard who was the SEC's sixth woman of the year. If she gets hot, it could be lights out for the Horns.
What they're predicting: Oddsmakers have declared South Carolina a 4.5-point favorite.
Between the lines: This is the Longhorns' first trip to the Final Four in more than two decades. The program won its only national championship in 1986.
- This will be the fifth year in a row coach Dawn Staley has led her South Carolina squad to the semifinals.
- Plus, they're the defending champs.
What they're saying: "We're not going to stray too far from the habits we've created," Staley told SEC Now about her squad's preparations against Texas. "It's a good thing to have already seen them three other times. ...The stakes are a lot higher."
- "We have tons of experiences to draw from and learn from," Texas head coach Vic Schaefer said about the matchup with South Carolina at a press conference this week. "That's the thing about Dawn's team ... they're going to be tough, they're going to be aggressive, they're going to be physical. If you don't bring an edge with you to that fight, it ain't going to be much fun."
How to watch: The game tips off at 6pm Friday in Tampa, Florida, on ESPN.
What's next: The victor will face the winner of University of Connecticut-UCLA for the national championship at 2pm Sunday on ABC.