Rematch for SEC women’s title

GREENVILLE, S.C. — A’ja Wilson scored 26 points as South Carolina reached the title game at the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament for the third straight year, beating Kentucky 89-77 in Saturday’s early semifinal.

The fifth-ranked, top-seeded Gamecocks (26-4) let a 14-point lead slip to 75-73 on Alyssa Rice’s layup with 4:12 to go, but Wilson followed by making a pair of free throws to start a closing 14-4 run.

Kaela Davis and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan added 17 points each for South Carolina, which won the past two SEC titles.

Makayla Epps had 31 points and Evelyn Akhator added 24 for the ninth-ranked, fourth-seeded Wildcats (21-10).

Wilson, who this past week won her second straight SEC player of the year award, took control as her partner in the post, Alaina Coates, dealt with a bad right ankle. Coates, who missed Friday’s quarterfinal blowout of Georgia, got in for four minutes against the Wildcats but left the court in the third quarter when she split two defenders, was fouled attempting a layup and crumpled to the ground in pain.

She was helped to the locker room before returning to the bench with a boot on her on her injured ankle.

› Mississippi State 66, Texas A&M 50: Dominique Dillingham scored 14 points to lead the sixthranked, second-seeded Bulldogs to the tournament title game for the second straight season.

They set a school record with their 29th victory — against three losses — this season.

Morgan William added 12 points for Mississippi State (293) as All-SEC first-team selection Victoria Vivians was off her game for a second straight night. Vivians, who made just one of five shots and scored five points in the quarterfinals Friday night, was just 4-of-14 from the field for 10 points against sixth-seeded Texas A&M (21-11).

Not that it mattered all that much in this one. Mississippi State was up 14 points at halftime and stretched its advantage to 24 in the third quarter.

Danni Williams had 13 points before fouling out to lead Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs lost 66-52 to South Carolina in last season’s SEC final.