South Carolina clinches SEC title tie, but party on hold - ESPN

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina didn't have a big celebration after earning its 10th SEC regular-season women's basketball title Sunday, and there was a good reason.

The No. 3 Gamecocks clinched at least a tie for the championship with their 85-48 victory over Ole Miss, but they want to win the title outright, which they can do this week when they host Missouri.

«Hopefully, we can get that done Thursday, and we'll make sure we jump around because it's an incredible feat in this conference,» South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. «I don't want us to take our foot off the gas, because when you can control your own destiny, you should take advantage of it.»

Last season, South Carolina tied Texas for the SEC regular-season title at 15-1 as both lost only to the other in conference play. The SEC tournament No. 1 seed then had to be decided by a coin flip, which was won by South Carolina.

«We don't want to go down that route again,» Staley said.

South Carolina stands at 13-1 in league play, with its only loss coming in overtime at Oklahoma on Jan. 22. Texas and Vanderbilt are in second place at 11-3 after victories Sunday.

After unranked Missouri, South Carolina finishes the regular season March 1 at No. 16 Kentucky. The SEC tournament is in nearby Greenville, South Carolina, from March 4 to 8. The Gamecocks have won that championship nine times, including five of the past six years.

Texas and South Carolina played twice this season, but only one game was part of SEC play. The Longhorns won their first meeting Nov. 27 in Las Vegas at the Players Era Championship. The Gamecocks won their SEC matchup on Jan. 15 here in Columbia.

This is the Gamecocks' 10th league regular-season title in 13 seasons and fifth in a row. Only