A little too much familiarity in the Final Four matchup today. 2-1 in Dawn Staley’s favor, South Carolina and Texas met for the 4th time this season. About two months ago, a 57-game winning streak was snapped, margin screamed humiliation, offensive lapses glared by the time buzzer sounded. Though Staley had gone out dancing (quite literally) soon after for the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, she is now ensuring she grooves for all the right reasons in their final meeting of the season!

“This is our only opportunity to show the world that we just had an off game,” MiLaysia Fulwiley said on Thursday after their narrow win against Duke. “We have enough in the room to compete against these teams, and I think we didn’t really show that the first time. So we have to lock in and just be true to ourselves and understand that it’s going to take all 12 of us to walk out with those wins, and I think we will.”

That was certainly the case tonight for the Gamecocks. A complete team. More importantly, the one answer Staley was hoping to get right, she had– Joyce Edwards breaking the curse. Against Texas through the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament run, the forward hasn’t been the freshman of the year candidate the HC vouches her to be. In the previous three games, she managed no more than 6 points. So Staley was clear. If they had to win, they’d need Edwards to step up, and she did! 13 points across 26 minutes.

Sania Feagin and Chloe Kitts, who had been stepping up in her absence, only kept up with the practice, adding a combined 12. South Carolina completely dominated the Longhorns by shooting almost 51% from the field and winning the game 74-57. A win by 17 points. That screams humiliation! It also sets up the Gamecocks to become the first Division 1 side to defend their title after UConn.

Fans, however, weren’t pleased with the way the game panned out.

It has been Vic Schaefer’s year, reviving the program from the scraps of head coaches Gail Goestenkors and Karen Aston’s partially successful attempts. 3 Elite Eights and 1st Final Four since 2003, the Lone Star State’s own, had brought them back to prominence. “I think he deserves it. He puts in the work,” Madison Booker had said as they beat TCU. Their winning formula? Their defense. Playing the Horned Frogs, they forced a total 21 turnovers, and held them to 26.7% shooting.

It is only right those results are yielded because the Longhorns are expected to undergo summer workouts to meet the HC’s defense conditioning. But did Schaefer focus on it a little too much? So much so that it could take them only so far in the NCAA tournament?

Fans fume as Dawn Staley humiliated Vic Schaefer

The major issue stemmed from the fact that the Longhorns just couldn’t shoot the ball well. “I know it’s not Vic Schaefer’s style of play, but this team needs more shooting,” a fan commented. Another joined in saying, “Vic Schaefer needs to find shooting immediately”

“Guard-till-your-tongue-hangs-out defense” has been Vic Schaefer’s go-to strategy since taking over the Longhorns. It’s this mentality that set Texas apart from the competition. While other teams in this Final Four have strong defenses, none guarded the 3-point line like the Longhorns did. They allowed just 27.7% from beyond the arc. Sure, UConn is the nation’s meanest defense, allowing only 52 points a game. But Texas is no slouch, ranking 16th in the country, giving up 55.7 points. They’ve proven their defensive mettle by facing some of the toughest offenses in the SEC.

But tonight, the Longhorns couldn’t find any rhythm on offense. One fan put it bluntly: “Vic Schaefer will never win a national title as long as Dawn Staley is coaching basketball.” It’s hard to argue with that sentiment after the game. Texas shot just 39.3% from the field. Madison Booker had a strong start but quickly got into foul trouble. Their other top scorers, Rori Harmon, and the “two-headed monster” as said by the coach himself, Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre, had awful shooting nights.

Harmon went 4-12, Jones was 1-5, and Oldacre shot 1-3. It was a dismal performance for the Longhorns, and they rightfully lost. As one fan put it, “Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks generating layups and open 3’s, and Vic Schaefer’s 4-star and 5-star talent launching a blizzard of mid-range poop shots. Gee, I wonder who’s winning?”

The mean Longhorns defense let the Gamecocks shoot 63.6% from the 3-pt line. A lot was said about how the Gamecocks might suffer since they lack an outright superstar in their team. But once again, those worries were put to bed. Dawn Staley flexed her depth once again. Their top scorers this season, Joyce Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley, once again came from the bench and combined for 20 points to help the Gamecocks win again. One fan didn’t hold back, bluntly stating, “I have strong disdain Vic Schaefer”

While it may seem harsh on Schaefer, who has had an incredible season, it’s tough when your best player gets into foul trouble early, especially when she was on a roll! Booker struggled to regain that momentum in the second half, finishing 5-11. It leaves us wondering–would the Longhorns have been in a better position if not for the foul trouble? Guess we’ll never know!