Sunday’s schedule of Southeastern Conference women’s basketball games wrapped up the regular season and finalized the seeds for the league tournament.
The 14-team bracket will begin being whittled Wednesday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
That site makes for a short journey for regular-season champion South Carolina, which enters with the No. 1 seed and an undefeated record. The top-ranked Gamecocks are 29-0, having completed a 16-0 run through the SEC with Sunday’s home win against Georgia as they seek to repeat as NCAA tournament champions.
Their league success means they won’t be expected in Greenville until Friday, having received a double bye into the SEC quarterfinals. The next three seeds — fifth-ranked LSU (27-1, 15-1), Tennessee (21-10, 13-3) and Ole Miss (22-7, 11-5) — have the same privilege.
Last year’s SEC tournament champion is this year’s lowest seed, with the Kentucky Wildcats (10-18, 2-14) — with a significantly different roster from last season — in the No. 14 spot.
The tournament begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday with No. 12 seed Vanderbilt (12-18, 3-13) facing No. 13 Texas A&M (7-19, 2-14), and Kentucky taking on No. 11 Florida (16-13, 5-11) after that.
Thursday’s first session tips off at noon with No. 8 Arkansas (20-11, 7-9) versus No. 9 Missouri (17-12, 6-10), followed by No. 5 Mississippi State (20-9, 9-7) against the winner of Vanderbilt-Texas A&M. In the evening session, No. 7 Georgia (20-10, 9-7) plays No. 10 Auburn (15-13, 5-11) at 6, followed by No. 6 Alabama (20-9, 9-7) against the winner of Florida-Kentucky.
Friday’s noon game pits South Carolina against the winner of Arkansas-Missouri, followed by Ole Miss versus Mississippi State, Texas A&M or Vanderbilt. The 6 p.m. matchup has LSU taking on the winner of Georgia-Auburn, with Tennessee wrapping up the day against Alabama, Florida or Kentucky.
Saturday’s first semifinal is at 4:30 p.m., with the second following 25 minutes after its completion. Sunday’s title game is at 3 p.m., with the winner receiving the SEC’s automatic berth for the NCAA tourney.
South Carolina won the SEC tournament for the first time in 2015 but has made a habit of it since then, taking the title the following three years and again in 2020 and 2021 before last year’s two-point loss to Kentucky in Nashville. Mississippi State won the 2019 event, its lone SEC tourney championship.
The Gamecocks’ six titles are tied for second with Vanderbilt, which most recently won in 2009, with Tennessee’s 17 the record. The Lady Vols’ most recent title was in 2014.
Compiled by Marty Kirkland. Contact him at mkirkland@timesfreepress.com.
AP photo by Nell Redmond / South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston, top, looks on as teammate Brea Beal, left, tries to strip the ball from LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson on Feb. 12 in Columbia, S.C.2023 SEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
At Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 1
No. 13 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt, 11 a.m.
No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Florida, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
SECOND ROUND
Thursday, March 2
No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Arkansas, noon
No. 5 Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M-Vanderbilt winner, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
No. 10 Auburn vs. No. 7 Georgia, 6 p.m.
No. 6 Alabama vs. Kentucky-Florida winner, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 3
No. 1 South Carolina vs. Missouri-Arkansas winner, noon
No. 4 Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M-Vanderbilt—Mississippi State winner, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
No. 2 LSU vs. Auburn-Georgia winner, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Tennessee vs. Kentucky-Florida—Alabama winner, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
First game, 4:30 p.m.
Second game, 25 minutes after completion of previous game
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sunday, March 5
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.