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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina is back in the Final Four for a fifth straight season, but it didn’t come easy.
The top-seeded Gamecocks, defending national champions, got all they could handle from second-seeded Duke, winning 54-50.
South Carolina overcame a 41-30 rebounding differential, led by its standout post players Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin. Kitts finished the game with 14 points and Feagin added 12, with the pair scoring the Gamecocks’ final eight points. Kitts came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of her 14 points. Te-Hina Paopao was a big part of South Carolina’s spark in the second half as well, scoring eight of her points in the second half and finishing without a turnover.
This wasn’t as easy a game as some expected. South Carolina trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter, yet pulled away late. That’s been the story of the tournament for South Carolina, as it had to find a way to win late against Maryland in the Sweet 16 and at home against Indiana in the second round.
Despite having much to improve on, Dawn Staley’s team is returning to the Final Four with national championship aspirations. The Gamecocks will play the winner of Monday’s Texas-TCU game in the Final Four on April 4.
The Gamecocks might be advancing to Tampa, Fla. for their fifth consecutive Final Four, but Sunday was far from a convincing performance by the defending champions. South Carolina jumped out to a 10-2 lead just five minutes into the game and appeared to be in complete control. But the Gamecocks again lacked an expected crispness and allowed their opponent to hang around.
In the first half, South Carolina had 10 turnovers, was minus-8 in offensive rebound differential and didn’t have a field goal for the final six-plus minutes of the frame, allowing Duke to crawl back into the game. The Blue Devils took the lead two minutes into the third quarter and led almost the entire period, taking a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Gamecocks answered early in the fourth, utilizing a 10-0 run between the third and fourth quarters to regain the lead with 6:43 left, but even then they couldn’t put away the Blue Devils. Duke had a chance to potentially win the game in the waning seconds, but an Ashlon Jackson 3 came up well short.
South Carolina prides itself on being one of the country’s best rebounding teams. The Gamecocks average nearly 30 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds per game and record just over 14 second-chance points per game. But against the Blue Devils, South Carolina struggled on the glass. They were outrebounded 41-30 and 19-6 on the offensive glass. While Duke only had 12 second-chance points, the extra possessions helped Duke take 16 more shots than its opponent.
A potential matchup with either TCU or Texas awaits South Carolina in Tampa — both teams with physical and experienced frontcourt players. That’s one immediate area South Carolina’s staff will have to address if the Gamecocks hope to advance to the championship game.
Toby Fournier, Duke’s leading scorer during the regular season, won’t be happy with the result of Sunday’s Elite Eight game, but the 6-foot-2 freshman ended her first NCAA Tournament with a standout performance. She scored a game-high 18 points, adding six rebounds and three blocks.
Her stat line is just one reflection of the jolt she provided Duke on Sunday. Coach Kara Lawson brought Fournier in off the bench just 37 seconds into the game, seeking to provide a boost of energy to her team. And while it took Fournier part of the first period to settle into the gameflow, she was integral in helping Duke nearly pull off a historic upset.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
South Carolina State Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament
2025 The Athletic Media Company
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The top-seeded Gamecocks, defending national champions, got all they could handle from second-seeded Duke, winning 54-50.
South Carolina overcame a 41-30 rebounding differential, led by its standout post players Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin. Kitts finished the game with 14 points and Feagin added 12, with the pair scoring the Gamecocks’ final eight points. Kitts came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of her 14 points. Te-Hina Paopao was a big part of South Carolina’s spark in the second half as well, scoring eight of her points in the second half and finishing without a turnover.
This wasn’t as easy a game as some expected. South Carolina trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter, yet pulled away late. That’s been the story of the tournament for South Carolina, as it had to find a way to win late against Maryland in the Sweet 16 and at home against Indiana in the second round.
Despite having much to improve on, Dawn Staley’s team is returning to the Final Four with national championship aspirations. The Gamecocks will play the winner of Monday’s Texas-TCU game in the Final Four on April 4.
South Carolina has plenty to improve upon
The Gamecocks might be advancing to Tampa, Fla. for their fifth consecutive Final Four, but Sunday was far from a convincing performance by the defending champions. South Carolina jumped out to a 10-2 lead just five minutes into the game and appeared to be in complete control. But the Gamecocks again lacked an expected crispness and allowed their opponent to hang around.
In the first half, South Carolina had 10 turnovers, was minus-8 in offensive rebound differential and didn’t have a field goal for the final six-plus minutes of the frame, allowing Duke to crawl back into the game. The Blue Devils took the lead two minutes into the third quarter and led almost the entire period, taking a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Gamecocks answered early in the fourth, utilizing a 10-0 run between the third and fourth quarters to regain the lead with 6:43 left, but even then they couldn’t put away the Blue Devils. Duke had a chance to potentially win the game in the waning seconds, but an Ashlon Jackson 3 came up well short.
Rebounding battle nearly costs Gamecocks
South Carolina prides itself on being one of the country’s best rebounding teams. The Gamecocks average nearly 30 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds per game and record just over 14 second-chance points per game. But against the Blue Devils, South Carolina struggled on the glass. They were outrebounded 41-30 and 19-6 on the offensive glass. While Duke only had 12 second-chance points, the extra possessions helped Duke take 16 more shots than its opponent.
A potential matchup with either TCU or Texas awaits South Carolina in Tampa — both teams with physical and experienced frontcourt players. That’s one immediate area South Carolina’s staff will have to address if the Gamecocks hope to advance to the championship game.
Toby Fournier stars for Blue Devils in loss
Toby Fournier, Duke’s leading scorer during the regular season, won’t be happy with the result of Sunday’s Elite Eight game, but the 6-foot-2 freshman ended her first NCAA Tournament with a standout performance. She scored a game-high 18 points, adding six rebounds and three blocks.
Her stat line is just one reflection of the jolt she provided Duke on Sunday. Coach Kara Lawson brought Fournier in off the bench just 37 seconds into the game, seeking to provide a boost of energy to her team. And while it took Fournier part of the first period to settle into the gameflow, she was integral in helping Duke nearly pull off a historic upset.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
South Carolina State Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, Women's College Basketball, Women's NCAA Tournament
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
