Players Era results and analysis
No. 4 Texas 66, No. 2 South Carolina 64
The SEC schedule has the Longhorns and Gamecocks slated to play only once during the regular season (Jan. 15 in Columbia). So their matchup in Thursday's championship game of the Players Era event was a bonus. And it did not disappoint.
Two of the best teams in the country played like it and solidified their status as favorites for No. 1 NCAA tournament seeds. Rori Harmon's pullup jumper with 0.7 seconds left won it for Texas, which is now firmly established as the No. 2 team in the country behind UConn Huskies after beating two top-five teams in Las Vegas (the Longhorns beat No. 3 UCLA Bruins on Wednesday).
Madison Booker came alive for the Longhorns in the fourth quarter, scoring 8 of her 16 points, as Texas came back from an 8-point deficit late in the third period.
South Carolina, led by Joyce Edwards' 16 points, will now slot in at No. 3 overall in Bracketology, which will be fully updated on Tuesday.