The No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament was decided by a coin toss

Despite putting everything on the line during the regular season, an entire year of hard work came down to luck.

The No. 1 seed for the SEC Tournament was decided by a coin toss, as South Carolina and Texas watched on as conference commissioner Greg Sankey decided their fate.

Despite putting everything on the line during the regular season, an entire year of hard work came down to luck. The Gamecocks were fortunate as they won the coin toss, meaning they'll enter the SEC Tournament as the top seed while the Longhorns will have to settle for being No. 2.

Both South Carolina and Texas had a 15-1 record in the conference, with both losses falling against each other. With identical records and all tiebreak possibilities eradicated due to both suffering one loss to the other, only a coin toss was left to decide the seeding.

It all came down to the last day, as the Gamecocks hosted Kentucky and the Longhorns welcomed Florida. Texas made light work of the Gators as they stormed to a 72-46 victory, and though South Carolina's game was closer, the Gamecocks won 78-66.

Both programs were briefed heading into the regular-season finale that a coin toss would occur should they both win, and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley wasn't impressed. "It is what it is. I think we should have thought a little bit more ahead of this situation... that's just me though," she said.

Staley was more upbeat after watching the coin toss live with her roster, and instantly turned to X to offer her thoughts. "Coin Gods were in our favor," Staley said. "South Carolina, number one seed, we've got to make it count. See y'all in Greenville!"

The Gamecocks head coach also spoke about the coin toss during her postgame press conference on Sunday, adding: "We just watched it in the locker room, and I mean it was kind of exciting. It was, it was kind of exciting.

"And the build up was good. I know when you're part of the equation, it doesn't feel good to have your fate in a coin toss. And I didn't know that eight other sports use a coin flip... That was news to me, I feel a little better about it now."

Texas also reacted to the coin toss after beating Florida, and head coach Vic Schaefer instantly dismissed the importance of heading into the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed. "At this point, I don’t think we care who we’re going to see next week," Schaefer said.

"We’re just going to show up and play. What they’ve accomplished this year is amazing. I wanted this bad for them. It’s all I could think about for about two weeks, trying to get them home."

The SEC Tournament begins on March 5, though South Carolina and Texas enter at the quarter-final stage on March 7. The championship game is scheduled for March 9, and it's possible that the Gamecocks and the Longhorns could meet again.