SEC Championship Preview: South Carolina vs Tennessee

South Carolina's Women's Basketball team looks to capture their 7th SEC Tournament Title on Sunday when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

When Dawn Staley and South Carolina's Women's Basketball team take the court every single season, they have a few simple goals they set out to accomplish; win the SEC regular season championship, win the SEC Tournament Championship and win the National Championship. The Gamecocks have already checked off one of these boxes, winning the SEC regular season title when they defeated the Tennessee Volunteers back on February 23rd, and now, in a game full of irony, South Carolina will have to topple the Volunteers once again to accomplish their second major goal this season.

The game isn't just ironic because of the stakes both teams have had riding on both of their meetings this season, but it's also symbolic of the changing of the guard that's taken place in the SEC when it comes to women's basketball. When the late great Pat Summit and her Lady Volunteers showed up in arena's just 15 years ago or so, they were the most feared team in the SEC if not the entire country outside of Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies. Since Dawn Staley's arrival in Columbia, however, the Gamecocks rise to the top of the sport has coincided with Tennessee's struggles to find stable footing in a post Pat Summit era , and has lead to a role reversal of sorts in terms of how both teams are viewed presently.

In terms of how the Volunteers matchup with the Gamecocks, they have a dynamic scoring duo in Jordon Horston and Rickea Jackson to contend with South Carolina's Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke, as they've combined for a scoring average of 35 points per game this season. Tennessee also has had the luxury, or consequence depending on how it's viewed, of enduring through the toughest schedule in all of women's college basketball this season, which some could argue would better prepare them for a matchup against the Gamecocks. Then again, South Carolina has won 37 straight games for a reason.

After conquering the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ole Miss Rebels over the previous two days, the Gamecocks will look to take advantage of the national stage that's been set in front of them and capture a perfect record against conference foes before the NCAA tournament.

How To Watch: South Carolina vs Tennessee

• Gameday: Sunday, March 5th, 2023.
• Game time: 3:00 pm ET
• TV: ESPN
• Stadium: Bon Secours Arena (Greenville, SC)
• Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

You Might Also Like:

• South Carolina Victorious in Final Regular Season Game Against Georgia
• South Carolina's Women's Basketball Team Racks Up Postseason Awards
• Dawn Staley, Players Discuss Emotional Senior Day

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