Women’s NCAA Tournament: #6 Texas v. #1 South Carolina

Who will WIN this matchup?

#6 Texas Longhorns (21-9)

#1 South Carolina Gamecocks (25-4)

Current odds:

Texas Longhorns: (TBD)

South Carolina Gamecocks: (TBD)

• The line for this game is South Carolina by 8.5 points.

• With three wins this year, Texas is now 45-31 (.592 win pct) all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Twenty-eight of those wins have come by at least 15 points, including a 19-point win over Bradley last week. This year marks Texas’ 16th all-time appearance in the Sweet 16, 10th appearance in the Elite 8 and the first time UT has made it to the Regional rounds as a No. 6 seed or lower.

• Texas’ pressure defense has made an impression on the national and Big 12 scene this year under head coach Vic Schaefer. Led by season-high efforts of 35 and 34 turnovers forced against SMU (Nov. 25) and at Kansas State (Dec. 21), respectively, Texas leads the Big 12 in turnovers forced per game (19.00) and turnover margin (+5.21). Both marks rank in the top 40 nationally this season.

• Texas is utilizing its defense to create offense this season, as the Longhorns has scored at least 20 points off turnovers in 14 games this season. The Longhorns posted a season-high 39 points off turnovers in the season opener versus SMU, and hit the 30-point mark in three-straight outings against Drake (33 points), at Kansas State (38 points) and against Lamar (32 points). Texas is 13-1 when scoring at least 20 points off turnovers this year.

• Five different Gamecocks have scored in double-figures at least once in NCAA Tournament play this season. Three have led or tied for the team lead in scoring at least once – Aliyah Boston (tied vs. Mercer, vs. Oregon State), Zia Cooke (vs. Georgia Tech) and Victaria Saxton (tied vs. Mercer).

• South Carolina’s eight 3-pointers against Georgia Tech were its second-most this season and its most since hitting eight against then-No. 15/16 Arkansas (Jan. 18)

• Through three NCAA Tournament games, South Carolina’s frontcourt has scored 56.5 percent of the Gamecocks’ 71.3 points per game with all three forwards averaging double figures (Aliyah Boston, 16.9 ppg, Victaria Saxton 13.0 ppg, Laeticia Amihere 11.3 ppg). The trio has done it with some range as well, scoring 11.7 of its 40.3 points per game outside the paint.

• Junior forward Victaria Saxton has been locked in offensively, shooting 65.2 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament to average 13.0 points at the event.