South Carolina plays Tennessee for SEC tournament title today. Here’s what to know
Top-seeded South Carolina will face No. 3 seed Tennessee in the SEC tournament championship game. USC has won six titles since 2015, and has appeared in eight of the last nine conference tournament championships.
Tennessee defeated No. 2 LSU 69-67 on Saturday, and the Gamecocks beat Ole Miss 80-51.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” TV show will air before the game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. It’s the sixth time ESPN’s held the event at a women’s basketball game.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. TENNESSEE GAME INFO
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (31-0) vs. Tennessee Lady Volunteers (23-10)
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (15,951) in Greenville, S.C.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
TV: ESPN
Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com
LAST MEETING
The Gamecocks got out to a slow start in the Feb. 23 game at Knoxville, trailing by nine after the first quarter. But they went on a 17-0 run in the second quarter that kept them ahead for the rest of the game.
Tennessee clawed back late. After trailing by 18 heading into the fourth, the Volunteers cut the lead to eight midway through the quarter.
Zia Cooke led South Carolina with 19 points, and USC also got contributions away from its main scorers. Kierra Fletcher scored a season-high 15 points, and Brea Beal added 12.
Rickea Jackson put up 21 points and five rebounds for the Lady Vols. Jackson scored 26 points against LSU on Saturday.
Saturday’s win was the first this season for Tennessee against a ranked opponent. Sunday provides a chance to add another one and improve the team’s seeding in the NCAA tournament.
QUICK NOTES
Dawn Staley is 4-1 against Tennessee coach Kellie Harper, and 10-12 against Tennessee overall at South Carolina.
The Volunteers and Gamecocks are the only teams to defeat LSU this season.
USC has had eight different players lead the team in scoring this year across 31 games.
Tennessee’s last conference championship victory came in 2014. The Volunteers’ last appearance was 2015, when they lost to the Gamecocks.
South Carolina is on a program-best 37-game winning streak.
Both teams have two All-SEC first team performers.
GAMECOCKS AND VOLUNTEERS PLAYERS TO WATCH
Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina: Boston recorded her 80th career double-double on Saturday, and enters Sunday’s game as USC’s leading rebounder and shot blocker, as well as its second-leading scorer. She made the 15-player ballot for the Wooden Award.
Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina: Cooke scored 14 points on Saturday, most of which came early in the game to help USC build a quick lead. She leads the Gamecocks in scoring, and has six games this season with 20 or more points.
Rickea Jackson, F, Tennessee: Jackson leads the Volunteers in scoring and had the highest game total in the February meeting against the Gamecocks. She’s a projected first round pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
Jordan Horston, G, Tennessee: Horston is an all-around force for UT. She leads the team in assists, steals, blocks and rebounds. Her activity on the court has been a factor in most of the team’s wins, and her 6-foot-2 frame makes her taller than each perimeter player in USC’s rotation.
