Winless no more: South Carolina beats Texas for first SEC win, ends 13-game losing streak

The last 54 days had been nothing short of brutal for South Carolina. No wins, just heartbreak after heartbreak with six of its 13 straight losses decided by five points or fewer.

The Gamecocks had continuously come so close to finally getting over the hump with no end in sight. And Saturday was not any easier. But things finally came together for them when the final buzzer sounded.

The Gamecocks (11-16, 1-13 SEC) ended their long losing streak with an 84-69 win over Texas. It’s their first win in general since defeating Presbyterian on Dec. 30, 2024 to wrap up non-conference play.

It’s also South Carolina’s first conference win since March 9, 2024, when it defeated Mississippi State 93-89. The team avoids joining the 0-18 club as 2018-19 Vanderbilt and 2023-24 Missouri are the only two teams to go winless in SEC play.

How it happened

For as many rough moments as there have been during this losing streak, South Carolina had about as good of a first half as it could have. The Gamecocks were doing what other SEC teams had been doing to them. They only shot 38.7 percent from the field at the break, but they did a lot more than that to build a comfortable lead.

South Carolina’s defense suffocated Texas throughout the first 20 minutes, with the Longhorns unable to generate much offense. They went 8-for-29 (29.6 percent) from the floor and 1-of-6 from three-point range. In the early minutes, the Gamecocks went on an 8-0 run and held Texas without a point for nearly five minutes.

After head coach Lamont Paris had been pleading his case for Collin Murray-Boyles to take more shots, he finally got his wish on Saturday. Murray-Boyles was on another level in the first half as he already had 16 points and eight rebounds. He was also fantastic on defense, blocking three shots. Jordan Butler also had one block in the half.

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The Gamecocks were also better with taking care of the basketball on their offensive possessions. They only had two turnovers at the break. The other key difference were the free throws. They got to the line plenty and cashed in on their opportunities, going 14-for-16 in the half.

They finished out strong with another big 8-0 run in the last 1:24 to take an 18-point lead into the locker room. Texas’ 22 points were the lowest first-half total allowed by South Carolina in SEC play this season.

Even with how well things were going, there was always going to be concern about how the rest of the game would go with still so much time. But the Gamecocks were still in complete control and well ahead. Their lead extended to 20 within the first two minutes after halftime, and Texas had a hard time making it close for a period of time.

But with under six minutes to go, the Longhorns showed some fight after making eight of their last 10 field goals and going on an 11-1 run. This helped get them back in the game and cut the deficit down to 12 by the final media timeout.

Because South Carolina was still ahead by double digits, this forced Texas to start fouling down the stretch. Both teams were already dealing with plenty of questionable foul calls throughout the second half. They each found themselves with double-digit fouls, which only prolonged things.

It didn’t make a huge difference, though. The Gamecocks were able to hold on and get their first win in conference play.

Two observations

Let CMB cook—This is exactly what South Carolina had been needing out of its best player. Murray-Boyles is selfless enough to get others involved and try to find the open shot. It’s respectable without a doubt. But if the Gamecocks were going to have a real shot to play well and win, he needed to start taking matters into his own hands. He had a dominant first-half performance, which propelled him to scoring 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting in 27 minutes.

Finally got it done—There’s no denying South Carolina has been through a lot these last 13 games. It’s never easy to be a part of this stretch that the players and coaches have gone through. But it’s got to be a good feeling to get that win, even if it ends up being the only one in SEC play this year.

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Key stat

34-of-45—In a game plagued and prolonged by the officials constantly blowing their whistles, South Carolina went to the free throw line a ton on Saturday. The Gamecocks went 34-for-45 (75.6 percent) on their attempts. It wasn’t their best game from a shooting percentage standpoint. But considering how many times they went to the line, and the fact they only missed two free throws in the first half, it helped keep them in front.

Turning point

It was so early in the game but holding Texas to 22 points at halftime was massive. Because of how well the defense had performed, it allowed for the Gamecocks to build a 40-22 lead. And even despite Texas’ best efforts to try and get back in it, the game never felt close the rest of the way.

Up next

South Carolina will travel to take on No. 15 Missouri on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. on SEC Network.

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