Madison Booker had 24 points and Rori Harmon added 16 to lead Texas (18-2, 3-2), which finished 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
Texas handed South Carolina its only loss on Nov. 27 in the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas — considered a nonconference game — when Harmon made a 10-foot floater with a second left.
But the Gamecocks made sure not to let this one get away.
Edwards drove and drew a foul for a three-point play that gave South Carolina a 58-57 lead with 4:12 remaining. Madina Okot followed with a clutch 3 — only her third all season — to give the Gamecocks the biggest lead of the game at that point.
Johnson later wiggled free in the low post for a layup to push the lead to five with 1:07 to play.
Booker scored on a putback, but Johnson hit a short jumper with 23 seconds left to increase the lead to five again.
Alicia Tournebize of France made her South Carolina debut, receiving a huge ovation when she checked into the game in the first quarter. The 6-foot-7 Tournebize was a midseason acquisition after playing professionally for Tango Bourges Basket, a professional team in France’s top league.
Tournebize played five minutes and did not score.
Up next
Texas hosts Texas A&M on Sunday.
South Carolina visits Coppin State on Sunday.
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