The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team wrapped up their 2025-26 regular season in thrilling fashion, holding off a late surge by the Kentucky Wildcats to secure a 60-56 victory in Lexington on March 1, 2026. This win not only extended South Carolina’s winning streak to ten games but also cemented their status as the SEC regular season champions and the No. 1 seed heading into the conference tournament in Greenville. While the Gamecocks entered the matchup as heavy favorites, Kentucky showed grit and determination, nearly flipping the script in the game’s waning minutes.
Anticipation was high at Historic Memorial Coliseum as the No. 3-ranked Gamecocks squared off against the No. 18 Wildcats. South Carolina, led by head coach Dawn Staley, had already clinched the SEC title but was eager to maintain momentum heading into March Madness. Kentucky, meanwhile, was looking to boost its postseason resume and prove it could hang with the nation’s elite.
From the opening tip, both teams came out swinging. South Carolina’s starting five—Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards, and Madina Okot—set the tone early. Okot, in particular, was a force in the paint, notching her 20th double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds. She wasted no time making her presence felt, racking up seven points and six rebounds in the first quarter alone. Kentucky’s center, Clara Strack, responded with six early points, but foul trouble forced her to the bench midway through the second quarter, disrupting the Wildcats’ rhythm.
The first quarter saw the Gamecocks shoot a blistering 61.5% from the field, but their hot hand cooled in the second, dropping to just 29.4%. Kentucky capitalized, going on an 8-0 run while Okot rested, and trimmed what had been a 14-point deficit to just six by halftime. Joyce Edwards and Ta’Niya Latson chipped in seven points apiece for South Carolina, while Strack and the Wildcats clawed their way back into contention.
Kentucky’s head coach, Kenny Brooks, praised his team’s resilience after the game. “I’m very proud of my kids. I think they displayed a lot of heart, especially in the fourth quarter, going down the stretch. I think we grew a little bit. It’s been kind of a crazy season where I feel like we just haven’t been able to get a rhythm. Obviously, we’re probably playing our best basketball in the first part of January, and then you have to reinvent yourself. I can keep talking about it, and it’s not an excuse; it’s just our why, where we are. We’re excited about the next steps, postseason play, and I think we’ve proven we can play with anyone in the country.” According to Brooks, this was Kentucky’s fifth game against a top-five opponent this season, and he felt his team “handled ourselves pretty well.”
Defensively, Kentucky made key adjustments in the second quarter, switching to a zone to protect Strack from further foul trouble. “We had to do a little bit of something different because Clara had two fouls, and we knew we wanted to continue to keep her out there,” Brooks explained. “We went into the game with that game plan, trying to mix it up a little bit. We knew we were going to do some zone, there was a reason for us to go to that particular time. I thought the kids did a good job of adjusting. Today was just about pure heart, determination, with the way that they played.”
The third quarter belonged to South Carolina, as Okot and her teammates engineered a 13-2 run over the final five minutes, stretching their lead to 54-41 entering the fourth. Yet the Wildcats refused to fold. Kentucky opened the final quarter on fire, hitting six straight shots for an 8-0 run and cutting the deficit to three with just under four minutes left. The crowd in Lexington was on its feet, sensing a possible upset.
Kentucky’s Asia Boone, who had struggled in the previous game, found her form in the second half. Brooks noted, “It was welcoming. Your assessment is pretty on; she didn’t play well on Thursday. Then she came out, kind of like a lingering hangover, and then we were relying on her. We needed her, and she snapped out of it. She made some good plays, saw the ball go through the basket. I think that really started to settle her down a little bit. I thought she did a tremendous job of running the team. I was proud of her effort. I think she learned a lot.”
For all their hustle, the Wildcats couldn’t quite finish the comeback. After their late run, Kentucky failed to score in the final 2:50 of the game. Okot, ever the anchor for South Carolina, ended the Gamecocks’ own three-minute scoring drought with a critical basket in the final second to seal the win. The Wildcats’ offense sputtered under the pressure of South Carolina’s defense, and the Gamecocks escaped with a narrow victory.
Clara Strack, reflecting on her matchup with Okot, said, “She’s obviously a great player. She’s big, but I think I got myself in foul trouble early, like coach said, and that’s on me. So I wasn’t able to be as aggressive as I would have liked to down the stretch. I mean, she’s a great player, she’s big, she does a lot for them, she rebounds really well, so she’s a tough player.” Despite her frustration, Strack kept her composure, stating, “If I stay unfrustrated and steady, it doesn’t bother me at all.”
South Carolina’s depth was tested, with key forward Chloe Kitts sidelined for the season after tearing her ACL in October 2025. She’s expected to return next year, but her absence has forced the Gamecocks to rely even more on Okot and the rest of the starting lineup. Adhel Tac was also out for the season, but the Gamecocks have shown remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. Dawn Staley’s squad hasn’t missed a beat, continuing to find ways to win even when challenged.
As the SEC Tournament looms, South Carolina sits atop the conference with a 29-2 overall record and a 15-1 mark in SEC play. The Gamecocks are one of the four projected No. 1 seeds for the upcoming NCAA tournament, and their performance in Lexington only bolsters their credentials. Kentucky, now 21-9 and 8-8 in the SEC, will look to regroup and build on the positives from a hard-fought game against one of the country’s best.
The final buzzer in Lexington brought a sigh of relief for South Carolina and a sense of pride for Kentucky, who pushed the SEC champs to the brink. With the postseason now on the horizon, both teams have plenty to play for, and if this matchup was any indication, fans can expect more drama in the weeks ahead.