South Carolina survived Tennessee on Saturday and outlasted LSU on Sunday to win the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament and remain undefeated this season. No other NCAA Division I team has a perfect record.
Only seven other teams have unblemished conference records, including Jackson State (23-6 overall, 18-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference).
The Tigers open play Wednesday in the SWAC tournament after winning their fifth consecutive regular-season title under head coach Tomekia Reed. She’s trying to reach the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years but already notched an unprecedented feat. The program received its first-ever vote in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
“Right now, our record is the best that we’ve had in school history, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on, Reed said Thursday in postgame remarks after Jackson State beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “But to have an AP poll – one vote – that’s enough. … I was so excited that our program has gained national respect. Maybe just one person, but that one person matters.”
Reed’s joy caught the attention of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who’s attempting to win her third national title. “You’d have another one if I was a voter!” Staley posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. ”Keep doing the BELIEVABLE!”
SWAC coaches wish Jackson State’s dominance was less plausible. Since 2020-21, the Tigers’ regular-season SWAC record is 67-2, twice undefeated and twice with one loss. That’s close to South Carolina’s level of supremacy under Staley, a national title and three losses overall in the last three seasons.
Reed is growing accustomed to the rarefied air.
“When I took the job here, I said by my fourth year we wanted national attention,” Reed said. “Now here we are in year six, and it’s just getting better and better. I’ve been overwhelmed with blessings with this program. And I’m…
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