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South Carolina women's basketball continues its hunt to repeat as national champion.
The No. 1 Gamecocks (34-3) will face No. 1 Texas on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the Final Four, the fifth consecutive trip for coach Dawn Staley's team.
Friday will be the fourth time South Carolina faces the Longhorns (35-3) this season. Texas beat No. 2 seed TCU on Monday 58-47 in their Elite Eight game.
Here's what to know about the rematch ahead of Friday's Final Four game.
The Gamecocks are 2-1 against Texas this season, the most recent being their 64-45 win in the SEC tournament championship on March 9. Chloe Kitts had a team-high 15 points and was named tournament MVP.
The Longhorns took the 66-62 win on Feb. 9 in Austin, led by a 20-point performance from star sophomore and leading scorer Madison Booker. She went 7-for-22 from the field but was 6-for-7 from the free-throw line.
In the 67-50 win in Columbia on Jan. 12, South Carolina held Texas to just nine points in the opening quarter. Kitts and Te-Hina Paopao each finished with 11 points.
Booker, who is averaging 16.4 points this season, predominantly plays a forward role but can excel as a guard. She is no stranger to Staley's defense. Bree Hall and Raven Johnson, along with Tessa Johnson off the bench, have been tasked with defending Booker, and the Gamecocks likely will go with that matchup again Friday.
In the SEC tournament championship game, Hall held Booker to zero points until the 1:51 mark in the second quarter. Booker had three points by the fourth quarter and ultimately finished with 10, making just 4-of-13 shot attempts from the field.
In three games against South Carolina, Booker went 14-for-54 (25.9%).
A DEEP DIVE: What Madison Booker told Bree Hall, why it motivated her in South Carolina's SEC win vs Texas
Junior center Kyla Oldacre was huge in the win vs TCU on Monday night, despite playing only nine minutes and scoring zero points in the Sweet 16 game against Tennessee on Saturday.
Against the Horned Frogs, the 6-foot-6 Oldacre finished with nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 15 minutes. She gave South Carolina trouble in Texas' win, scoring 13 points, but had only two in the conference title game.
She could be the X-factor, especially if Hall is taking away Booker's shots. It will be up to Kitts and Sania Feagin to ensure Oldacre doesn't dominate the paint as a result.
In that same way, starting point guard Rori Harmon can really get going with midrange jumpers, just like Booker, so South Carolina has to make sure its defense isn't focused on only one shooter. Harmon had 13 points in Monday's win against TCU.
South Carolina 68, Texas 56: Staley's squad hasn't quite soared yet this tournament, a motivation to play more fluidly and be more productive on offense on the big stage.
DAWN AND SESSIONS: Here's who South Carolina coach Dawn Staley relies on for balance if her message runs hot or cold
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina vs Texas prediction, pick for March Madness Final Four
Continue reading...
The No. 1 Gamecocks (34-3) will face No. 1 Texas on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the Final Four, the fifth consecutive trip for coach Dawn Staley's team.
Friday will be the fourth time South Carolina faces the Longhorns (35-3) this season. Texas beat No. 2 seed TCU on Monday 58-47 in their Elite Eight game.
Here's what to know about the rematch ahead of Friday's Final Four game.
South Carolina vs Texas women's basketball series history this season
The Gamecocks are 2-1 against Texas this season, the most recent being their 64-45 win in the SEC tournament championship on March 9. Chloe Kitts had a team-high 15 points and was named tournament MVP.
The Longhorns took the 66-62 win on Feb. 9 in Austin, led by a 20-point performance from star sophomore and leading scorer Madison Booker. She went 7-for-22 from the field but was 6-for-7 from the free-throw line.
In the 67-50 win in Columbia on Jan. 12, South Carolina held Texas to just nine points in the opening quarter. Kitts and Te-Hina Paopao each finished with 11 points.
How has Madison Booker played against South Carolina's defense?
Booker, who is averaging 16.4 points this season, predominantly plays a forward role but can excel as a guard. She is no stranger to Staley's defense. Bree Hall and Raven Johnson, along with Tessa Johnson off the bench, have been tasked with defending Booker, and the Gamecocks likely will go with that matchup again Friday.
In the SEC tournament championship game, Hall held Booker to zero points until the 1:51 mark in the second quarter. Booker had three points by the fourth quarter and ultimately finished with 10, making just 4-of-13 shot attempts from the field.
In three games against South Carolina, Booker went 14-for-54 (25.9%).
A DEEP DIVE: What Madison Booker told Bree Hall, why it motivated her in South Carolina's SEC win vs Texas
South Carolina looks to halt Kyla Oldacre, Rori Harmon's Elite Eight energy
Junior center Kyla Oldacre was huge in the win vs TCU on Monday night, despite playing only nine minutes and scoring zero points in the Sweet 16 game against Tennessee on Saturday.
Against the Horned Frogs, the 6-foot-6 Oldacre finished with nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 15 minutes. She gave South Carolina trouble in Texas' win, scoring 13 points, but had only two in the conference title game.
She could be the X-factor, especially if Hall is taking away Booker's shots. It will be up to Kitts and Sania Feagin to ensure Oldacre doesn't dominate the paint as a result.
In that same way, starting point guard Rori Harmon can really get going with midrange jumpers, just like Booker, so South Carolina has to make sure its defense isn't focused on only one shooter. Harmon had 13 points in Monday's win against TCU.
South Carolina prediction vs Texas: March Madness Final Four
South Carolina 68, Texas 56: Staley's squad hasn't quite soared yet this tournament, a motivation to play more fluidly and be more productive on offense on the big stage.
DAWN AND SESSIONS: Here's who South Carolina coach Dawn Staley relies on for balance if her message runs hot or cold
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina vs Texas prediction, pick for March Madness Final Four
Continue reading...
