TAMPA, Fla. — Daybreak Staley has by no means misplaced a nationwide championship sport in three journeys as South Carolina’s coach.
A part of the important thing to profitable these decisive video games? Forgetting about what occurred the final time she was there. And this time, that was solely a 12 months in the past.
Staley’s defending champion Gamecocks left little question they’d return to the title sport, getting 14 factors from Te-Hina Paopao and overwhelming Texas 74-57 on Friday night time within the Closing 4 of the ladies’s NCAA Match.
“Nothing that occurred previous to right here goes to assist us on Sunday. Nothing,” Staley stated. “Saying that we’re undefeated in nationwide championships video games — I want it helped. I want it might spot us 10 factors as a result of we’re undefeated. I’d really feel actually good about that.”
The Gamecocks are a win away from changing into the primary group to safe consecutive titles since UConn received 4 straight from 2013-16. The Huskies confronted UCLA in Friday’s second semifinal.
Freshman Joyce Edwards added 13 factors, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for South Carolina (35-3), which used its expertise and poise to climate an early deficit, after which took management with its depth at each ends of the ground.
Three South Carolina gamers completed in double figures — Bree Corridor had 11 factors — and the Gamecocks dominated Texas within the put up with 40 factors within the paint to the Longhorns’ 22.
Madison Booker had 11 factors with three fouls for the Longhorns (35-4), who have been attempting to achieve their first championship since 1986. They have been within the Closing 4 for the primary time since 2003 after a dominant season, which was their first within the Southeastern Convention after coming over from the Huge 12.
Texas went 15-1 towards the SEC within the common season and shared the convention title with the Gamecocks.
South Carolina broke open the sport within the third quarter with an 11-0 run began by Edwards’ driving layup, and Texas by no means obtained nearer than 10 the remainder of the way in which. Booker, Texas’ main scorer, was held with no basket after making a jumper on the seven-minute mark of the third.
The Longhorns couldn’t match South Carolina’s tempo as the sport went on. They solely scored 9 factors within the third, together with unhealthy mid-range misses from Booker and Harmon. Harmon, a senior who returned this season from an ACL harm final 12 months, completed with eight factors. Jordan Lee led Texas with 16 factors off the bench.
“Not our greatest night time tonight,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer stated, “nevertheless it wasn’t as a result of they weren’t on the market battling and attempting. We misplaced to the higher group tonight.”
Power in reserve
South Carolina went undefeated throughout a dominant championship run final 12 months that featured a bodily roster no opponent may match up with. This 12 months’s journey to the ultimate has been barely tougher.
And not using a star like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston or 6-foot-7 heart Kamilla Cardoso — who led the Gamecocks on their earlier title runs — they’ve relied on a dynamic rotation to achieve their third championship sport in 4 years.
South Carolina leads the nation in bench factors and obtained 35 factors from its reserves on Friday, together with 9 factors from Tessa Johnson and 7 from Milaysia Fulwiley. Former South Carolina greats Wilson, Boston and Allisha Grey cheered them on from the stands.
Hassle early for Texas
Booker went to the bench with about three minutes left within the first quarter after choosing up two fouls. That allowed South Carolina to climb out of a 12-4 gap earlier than the SEC participant of the 12 months got here again late within the second, made a free throw and checked again out after choosing up her third foul. The Gamecocks outscored Texas by 13 with Booker on the bench and took a 38-35 halftime lead.
“Basketball is a sport of runs,” Paopao stated. “They went on their run. We went on our run. And we got here out with the win, so I’m pleased with our run.”
This was the groups’ fourth assembly this season — the seventeenth time two girls’s groups have confronted one another that many occasions in a single season, in response to Stats Carry out. As first-time convention opponents, they cut up the regular-season collection, with every group profitable on its house court docket, earlier than the Gamecocks blew out Texas within the SEC Match championship.
