South Carolina Breaths a Sigh of Relief After Finally Notching First SEC Win: ‘It Was Long Overdue’

Jamarii Thomas walked off the podium following his postgame interview and, full of emotion, shouted one word that summed up the feelings of everyone in this building: “HALLELUJAH!”

For the first time in nearly two months, the South Carolina Gamecocks have won a basketball game. After enduring a grueling 13-game losing streak, they came out victorious with an 84-69 win over Texas. This is their first win since December 30, 2024, and their first Southeastern Conference (SEC) win since March 9, 2024, when they defeated Mississippi State 93-89.

It’s been a tough road for South Carolina this season. Early in SEC play, they suffered a pair of blowout losses, but things weren’t always that bleak. Six of their defeats were by five points or fewer, leaving the players frustrated but determined. Collin Murray-Boyles put it perfectly after the game: “This is just well overdue. We put in a lot of work in practice. We’ve had some really close games this season. The feeling is just a sigh of relief that we could finally taste what it’s like to win in the SEC and hopefully keep it going for the rest of conference play.”

What’s been particularly excruciating about those losses has been how close the Gamecocks came, only to fall short. Whether it was missed free throws, turnovers, or inconsistent shooting, there always seemed to be something standing in their way. At times, it seemed like the players might give up. No one likes to lose, after all. But having a steady leader like Lamont Paris has kept the team grounded.

“He just keeps believing in us day in, day out,” Thomas said. “Sometimes, as you know, when you lose, guys lose confidence and things of that nature. But he instills it right back into us, and he just believes in us. So we just play hard for him.”

A month ago, after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Mississippi State, Coach Paris remained steadfast in his belief that the Gamecocks’ day was coming. And today, that day arrived. As Coach Paris explained after the game, this win was a result of everything coming together: “Feels good to see the guys be able to rejoice when they’ve been yearning to do this so many times. They’ve been on the doorstep so many times. So for them to continually have the energy, the effort, the belief that they have in anticipation of playing well and winning a game has been really impressive. And that’s what I’m proudest, or most proud of them for.”

Of course, one victory won’t erase the challenges of this season. South Carolina still sits at the bottom of the SEC standings with a 1-13 record. It’s been a disappointing year, especially after making the NCAA Tournament last season. But with four games left, this win offers a much-needed shift in perspective. The Gamecocks now see what it takes to win, and that’s the first step toward something bigger.

As always in college basketball, there’s still the hope of a magical run. The SEC Tournament is just around the corner, and while South Carolina will most likely enter as the No. 16 seed, it only takes one hot streak to make an incredible run. They’ll need to play five games in five days to win it all, but for now, the focus is on celebrating this win and regaining that feeling of victory.

“The relief is that now they can take everything at face value,” Paris said. “The whole world opened up again. They can listen to things differently that I say. They can process things differently now that they’re not consumed by that one thing. And so I think that’s where relief comes in is that you’re able to move forward and the last thing you remember is playing pretty well.”

For South Carolina, this victory is a sign of better things to come. The Gamecocks may have just found the key to turning their season around.