South Carolina tops Texas in Final Four to secure spot in national championship game

At halftime of Friday night’s Final Four game, the match between Texas and South Carolina was tightly contested. After a slow start, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks rallied to take a 38-35 lead into the locker room.

However, the second half was a different story. South Carolina came out strong in the third quarter, outscoring Texas 20-9. The Gamecocks dominated the rest of the way, securing a commanding 74-57 victory and clinching a spot in the national championship game for the second consecutive year.

In the pivotal third quarter, South Carolina’s offense found its rhythm. Five players contributed to the scoring, with Bree Hall leading the way with five points. The Gamecocks shot 9-for-16 from the field, while Texas struggled, making just 4-of-14 shots and only three players scoring.

Despite a brief push from Texas in the fourth quarter, where they cut the deficit to under 10 points, Te-Hina Paopao hit a crucial three-pointer to halt the Longhorns’ momentum. From there, South Carolina never looked back.

Paopao finished as South Carolina’s leading scorer with 14 points. Freshman Joyce Edwards had a standout performance, registering a double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Hall rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Gamecocks with 11 points.

As a team, South Carolina was efficient, shooting 50.9% from the field and 7-of-11 from beyond the arc, while also recording 17 assists on 29 made field goals.

For Texas, Jordan Lee led the way with 16 points, while Madison Booker added 11, though she battled foul trouble in the first half, which kept her off the court for significant stretches. Rori Harmon was also impactful, finishing with eight points and seven rebounds.

Despite a strong start, Texas couldn’t maintain its offensive rhythm. The Longhorns shot just 39.3% overall and dropped to 30% in the second half, making only 9-of-30 attempts.

With the win, South Carolina now turns its attention to Sunday’s national championship game, where they’ll face the winner of the UConn vs. UCLA matchup.

More news……

When Did South Carolina Last Lose a Tournament Game? Dawn Staley’s Streak at risk

South Carolina has secured its fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four after narrowly edging past Duke to claim the Birmingham Regional 2 title!

At this point, for Gamecocks fans, it’s becoming a familiar sensation. Under the leadership of head coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina’s women’s basketball program has solidified its place as a powerhouse. This marks the defending NCAA tournament champions’ seventh trip to the national semifinal since Staley took the helm in 2008.

But don’t let the dominance fool you — Duke put up an intense fight in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils even held a four-point lead heading into the final quarter, thanks to a stellar performance from freshman forward Toby Fournier, who almost pushed Staley and her squad to face a rare March setback.

When did South Carolina last lose in March Madness?

Speaking of rare losses, the last time South Carolina was defeated in March Madness was on March 31, 2023, at the hands of an Iowa team led by Caitlin Clark, a two-time AP Player of the Year and current WNBA standout. The Gamecocks fell short in a tough 77-73 loss. Since then, however, South Carolina has strung together 10 straight March Madness victories, with a major revenge win over Iowa the very next season, clinching the 2024 championship in an 87-75 victory.

Despite Staley’s impressive run, South Carolina’s sustained success isn’t entirely unprecedented. UConn dominated the tournament from 2013 to 2017, winning 24 consecutive games and securing the first four-peat in women’s basketball history. The Huskies have also captured multiple back-to-back titles, so the Gamecocks still have some catching up to do.

However, the inevitable happens — the mighty will fall. It’s rare, but it happens. UConn experienced this on the men’s side this year, with Dan Hurley’s decorated team being knocked out in the Round of 32 by Florida.