“She was a beast on the boards”: Dawn Staley gives Madison Booker her flowers after Texas beats South Carolina

Dawn Staley and the No. 2-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks lost for just the second time this season on Sunday, suffering a 66-62 defeat against the fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. They had difficulty stopping Madison Booker, who led with 20 points.

Booker shot 7-for-22 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to record her fifth double-double of the season. She previously achieved the feat in the games against Southeast Missouri, Richmond, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Booker was the core player for Texas coach Vic Schaefer, playing 39 minutes against South Carolina. Staley praised Booker's performance in the postgame press conference.

"Booker is a great player," Staley said (Timestamp 2:17). "She gets to her spots. I thought she did a great job rebounding, like she was a beast on the boards."

Dawn Staley specifically mentioned one play of Booker's that helped Texas record the upset win.

"She got a really crucial rebound in the fourth quarter where we got the stop. It's just, we had the switch. Breezy wasn't on her smaller guard. She took advantage of it, gave them another possession and they scored," Staley added.

Booker scored five of the Longhorns' 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead Texas to its eighth straight win. They improved their record to 24-2 with the victory, while the Gamecocks' slate fell to 22-2.

Madison Booker got offensive help from Kyla Oldacre in win over Dawn Staley's South Carolina

It wasn't just Madison Booker who punished the South Carolina defense as two other Texas players scored in double figures. Kyla Oldacre dominated inside for the Longhorns, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds off the bench. She shot 6-for-10 from the field and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Texas Longhorns center Kyla Oldacre (#00) catches a pass during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Moody Center. Photo: Imagn

Oldacre also displayed her defensive prowess, recording two steals and one block in 21 minutes. Taylor Jones left her mark on both ends of the floor for Texas. She scored 11 points and collected six rebounds in 19 minutes. She also was a menace on the defensive end, racking up four steals and one block.

MiLaysia Fulwiley led the South Carolina Gamecocks, scoring 13 points in a losing effort. She was the only player to score in double figures for Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, who had their 57-game winning streak in the Southeastern Conference regular season snapped.