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Overall, the SEC dominated the ACC/SEC Challenge, taking 13 of the 16 games between the two conferences. On the second night of the third annual event, the SEC’s four top 25-ranked teams went 4-0 against the ACC.
The most competitive contest, clearly, was No. 3 South Carolina against No. 22 Louisville. The Cardinals were ahead by one point entering the final period, but the Gamecocks did what they typically do: outexecute their opponent down the stretch.
With 1:33 left to play, Madina Okot made a layup to give South Carolina a one-point lead. Raven Johnson added a basket of her own and, suddenly, South Carolina was in control. Louisville got a pair of free throws from Imari Berry, and then the foul game began. Okot scored one more from the charity stripe, then missed two later, but Louisville was unable to capitalize, missing their last-second heave.
Okot led South Carolina with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Johnson was right behind her with 20 points and seven rebounds. For Louisville, Tajianna Roberts had a team-high 20 points, and Elif Istanbulluoglu scored 15 points on 60 percent shooting.
The Cardinals will likely be disappointed by this result, but the encouraging thing is that they pushed the Gamecocks to the brink. It demonstrates they can beat anyone when they play a complete game.
Cotie McMahon shines, Hannah Hidalgo tossed in Ole Miss comeback
Trailing No. 18 Notre Dame 52-50 entering the fourth quarter, No. 13 Ole Miss and was able to take over in the closing minutes, ending the game on a 12-6 run to win 69-62.
Cotie McMahon was sensational in this win. She ended the night with 22 points, four rebounds, one steal and one block. Christeen Iwuala had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
For Notre Dame, Hannah Hidalgo did everything she could to win. She had 28 points, which was a game-high.
The blemish for Hidalgo was her ejection, apparently for taunting and saying magic words to McMahon. I’m not sure if that was warranted or if the official got carried away, but that’s an unfortunate way for things to end for Notre Dame. If the referee was right, then Hidalgo has to be better. They need her to win, and getting ejected didn’t help things, even if the outcome was already assured.
Jordan Lee, Texas toast North Carolina
While South Carolina and Ole Miss had to fight to win, No. 2 Texas cruised to a 79-64 victory over No. 11 North Carolina.
Jordan Lee had 22 points, which was not only a game-high but a career-high. Rori Harmon had six points and eight assists. And Madison Booker ended the contest with 18 points.
North Carolina was led by Indya Nivar, who scored 17 points. Elina Aarnisalo had 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting, but the Tar Heel’s second-quarter struggles allowed the Longhorns to get control—and they never relinquished it.
This was an impressive win for Texas. This is their third victory over teams ranked at No. 11 or higher, and given that they are still unbeaten, they are setting themselves up for a very special 2026.
LSU fails to score 100, but still dominates Duke
I’ve got bad news and good news for LSU fans.
The bad news is the Tigers didn’t crack 100 points against Duke, the first time this season they’ve failed to crosse the century mark. The good news is that they still dominated the Blue Devils, winning 93-77.
Flau’Jae Johnson played like a star, scoring 18 points, and MiLaysia Fulwiley led the bench with 16 points. For the Blue Devils, Ashlon Jackson had 16 points, and Toby Fournier had 14 points on 60 percent shooting.
Despite the game eventually becoming a clear blowout, Duke was in it during the first quarter. In fact, they were ahead 24-20 at the end of the opening period. However, LSU turned the heat up in the second quarter and torched Duke, going on a 17-6 run midway through the period. After that, it was all over, and the Tigers strolled to a win.
LSU is now 9-0, and they don’t have to play any ranked opponents until New Year’s Day. So, they have a great chance of finishing 2025 undefeated. For Duke, this has been a tough year, and while they put up a good fight in the first half, it wasn’t enough to truly threaten the Tigers.
ACC fans might try to push back, but I think it’s clear the SEC reigns supreme.
