PENSACOLA, Fla. – The South Carolina Gamecocks snapped the Crimson Tide’s 15 game win streak on Sunday afternoon in the SEC championship game.
The win gives the Gamecocks their third SEC tournament championship in program history, and their first since 2019. South Carolina also earned an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament to go alongside their trophy.
The entirety of the game was a defensive masterclass between the two teams, with both keepers playing fantastic as well. Tide defender, Sasha Pickard, halted multiple scoring opportunities for the Gamecocks. Pickard’s constant hustle, effort and leadership will be pivotal for the Tide moving forward into the NCAA tournament.
The match remained at a 0-0 stalemate all the way until the 56th minute, when South Carolina forward, Brianna Behm, scored her first goal of the season to put the Gamecocks on top 1-0. Behm’s goal was just the second of her career and ended up being the game winning goal for South Carolina.
The Tide made a strong push in the final minutes, but a massive save from South Carolina keeper, Heather Hinz, kept the Tide scoreless, giving the Gamecocks the win.
The Gamecocks came into the game with a little bit of bitterness towards the Tide, as they lost 2-0 when the two programs played in the regular season, back in September. That bitterness showed on the field today, as 16 fouls were called between the two teams, 10 against the Tide and six against the Gamecocks. Four yellow cards were handed out in the match as well, two to each team.
The Crimson Tide will head into the NCAA tournament with a record of 19-2-1. Alabama will have their path to a potential national championship revealed to them on Monday, Nov. 7, when the committee releases the official NCAA tournament bracket.
