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South Carolina’s women’s basketball team had not lost in 2022 entering Sunday’s SEC women’s basketball tournament championship game, as their only defeat this season came in a one-point game in Missouri on December 30. Going into the fourth quarter, it seemed like a coronation was in order for the Gamecocks, as they took a 12-point advantage into the final quarter of play against a Kentucky team they’d beaten by 20 and 9 earlier in the season.
However, in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats heated up from three-point range and turned up the defensive intensity, holding South Carolina to seven points in the quarter to allow them to slowly reel in the Gamecocks. Kentucky was led by Rhyne Howard (18 points) and Dre’una Edwards (27 points and 9 rebounds), with Edwards scoring 12 of her 27 in the fourth to outscore South Carolina by herself, with the three-ball playing a pivotal role.
Another 3⃣ for @IhoopDrea44!
@espn
https://t.co/KWHV25XEYt#CommitToIt x #SECWBB pic.twitter.com/AJsDKOQCON
— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 6, 2022
SHOWTIME SHOWING OFF WITH ANOTHER 3! @IAmRobynnnn
@espn
https://t.co/KWHV25XEYt#CommitToIt x #SECWBB pic.twitter.com/q7CRzcAUaX
— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 6, 2022
Edwards wasn’t just lighting it up from deep, but also got it done down low — a tall order with Aliyah Boston patrolling for South Carolina — with a pair of late layups to cut the lead to one (including this sneaky move off an inbound under the basket).
BIG LAYUP FROM DRE TO BRING THE CATS WITHIN 3!!! @IhoopDrea44
@espn
https://t.co/KWHV25XEYt#CommitToIt x #SECWBB pic.twitter.com/On4I75l6ig
— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) March 6, 2022
Fittingly, it was Edwards that completed the comeback with a three-pointer in the closing seconds to get her to 27 points on the afternoon and give Kentucky a 64-62 lead.
KENTUCKY HITS THE LATE THREE TO BEAT SOUTH CAROLINA AND WIN THE WOMEN’S SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
@KentuckyWBB pic.twitter.com/pOI2k7bsGe
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 6, 2022
South Carolina’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer would go begging and the Wildcats stormed the court to celebrate a shocking comeback victory and their second SEC title in school history (the first since 1982).