"I've done it every way, sideways, up and down": Vic Schaefer looks to rely on past experience to beat Dawn Staley's South Carolina in SEC final

The SEC Tournament culminates in Sunday’s championship showdown between No. 1-ranked Texas and top-seeded South Carolina, ranked No. 5 nationally. The Longhorns, despite holding the nation’s top ranking, fell to the No. 2 seed on a coin toss.

Following his team’s 56-49 win over LSU on Saturday in the SEC semifinal, Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer reflected on his extensive history facing Dawn Staley’s South Carolina squad in the tournament’s final.

"This is my sixth [final] in a row, if I'm not mistaken, and five of them have been against South Carolina," Schaefer said (10:13). “I've done it every way, sideways, up, and down, it doesn't matter. My initial, 10 years ago, I'd be, ‘Ah, toughen up, we got to get up, we got to have shootaround, man, we got to be in here at,’ whatever time they give us.

"After 40 years, I changed, I guess. You know, my former players will say I got soft.”

According to Schaefer, in the past, he would have pushed for intense shootarounds, even with challenges like daylight saving time and late game schedules.

The Texas coach is expecting a near-home atmosphere for South Carolina. Still, Schaefer took pride in Longhorns fans who traveled to support them. While acknowledging the Gamecocks’ sustained dominance, he believes Texas has evolved since their early-season meeting and views this final as a major opportunity.

Vic Schaefer's Texas punched its ticket to the SEC championship

Vic Schaefer yells to his offense - Source: Imagn

The top-ranked Texas punched its ticket to the SEC Tournament championship game after a hard-fought 56-49 win over LSU at Bon Secours Arena in Greenville. The victory extends Vic Schaefer's Texas' winning streak to 15 games, improving its record to 31-2 overall and 15-1 in the SEC.

Madison Booker led the charge with 25 points, marking her 12th game this season with 20 or more. Rori Harmon reached a milestone with her 700th career assist, while Justice Carlton pulled down eight rebounds. Harmon and Taylor Jones combined for 19 points, and Jordan Lee sealed the win with clutch free throws in the final period.

Texas' defense set the tone early, holding the Tigers to just one field goal in the first quarter and shutting them out from the field for the final 4:55 of the third. This dominant effort held LSU under 50 points for the first time since February 2021 and marked the 12th time this season Schaefer and the squad have kept an opponent under 50, maintaining a perfect 12-0 record in such games.

Texas now turns its focus to No. 5 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).