With No. 4 Texas taking on No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina facing Duke, the Players Era Championship had a couple of hot contests set up in Las Vegas.
And it was the SEC that brought the heat, with both Texas and South Carolina claiming convincing victories.
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Harmon and the Horns held down the Bruins
Texas took care of UCLA, winning 76-65. Texas refused to allow UCLA to score during the opening period. The Longhorns were up by 10 points at the end of the first quarter and ahead by 20 by halftime. The Bruins made a legitimate run, with a 22-3 spurt trimming the Longhorns’ advantage to four points in the fourth quarter, turning what was looking like a total rout into a somewhat more respectable loss.
Rori Harmon was as good as ever, scoring a game-high 26 points. Madison Booker also had a good game with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Justice Carlton led Texas in bench scoring with 10 points.
Gianna Kneepkens was a bright spot for the Bruins, as she had 17 points and went 7-for-11 from the field. Kiki Rice came alive in the second half to also finish with 17 points, while Lauren Betts was held to just eight points.
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The last time UCLA played this badly was against UConn during the Final Four. In that game, UCLA was instantly shellshocked by UConn’s dominance and never stood a chance. This matchup wasn’t that bad, but it is a harsh reminder for the Bruins that they have work to do.
Betts was neutralized, the defense struggled and while they did win the rebounding battle by two, that doesn’t matter as much when a team shoots 31 percent from 3-point range.
No.2 South Carolina played like No. 1
Duke has struggled mightily this season, and they now have more losses than wins after this defeat against South Carolina. The Gamecocks beat the Blue Devils 83-66 and will now take on the Longhorns in the title game on Thursday.
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Early on, Duke was still in the mix. They started out ahead 15-7, but after that, South Carolina began to take control. The Gamecocks went on a 7-0 run to conclude the first quarter, and in the second, they outscored Duke 26-12 to take control for the rest of the afternoon.
South Carolina got dominant performances from Madina Okot and Joyce Edwards. They combined for 45 points, and both took 18 shots each, with Okot making 11 and Edwards converting on nine. Toby Fournier led Duke in scoring with 16 points.
Things are looking dark in Durham. Their offense has struggled and can’t seem to find a rhythm or stack games together. For South Carolina, the slow start isn’t what you want, but their class eventually showed during the first half. They might be ranked No. 2, but there isn’t another team in the country playing as well as them. Now, on Thursday, they’ll be able to prove that to any skeptics that are left.
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Nothing is guaranteed in basketball, especially in a one-off game, but No. 2 South Carolina taking on No. 4 Texas should give us a grand finale to this competition.
