South Carolina beats Texas in Final Four
South Carolina has advanced to the national championship game once again after defeating Texas 74-57 in the Final Four.
The Gamecocks are now one win away from their second straight national title and third in the past four seasons.
After leading by just three points at halftime, South Carolina outscored Texas 36-22 in the second half to win comfortably. Te-Hina Paopao led Dawn Staley’s squad with 14 points, while Jordan Lee led the Longhorns with 16.
South Carolina will meet the winner of UCLA vs. UConn in the national championship game on Sunday.
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In South Carolina’s five NCAA Tournament wins, there have been five different leading scorers for the Gamecocks. Tonight, it was Te-Hina Paopao with 14 points, who went 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from deep.
Madison Booker had a quick six points on 3-3 shooting to start the game for Texas but finished the game on a 2-8 run, going 5-11 overall for 11 points along with a rebound and no assists. She was in foul trouble throughout the first half, throwing her out of rhythm.
South Carolina ended up covering comfortably, and the total landed over at 131. It’s hard to see the defending champions opening as underdogs, regardless of which squad they draw.
Another pivotal factor in tonight’s outcome was transition points. Both Texas (15) and South Carolina (13) struggled with turnovers but the Longhorns did not capitalize on these opportunities on the fast break, scoring just three transition points compared to 15 by the Gamecocks.
A major reason for South Carolina’s efficiency, especially in the second half, was their dominance in the paint. Dawn Staley’s team scored 40 points in the paint, compared to just 22 by the Longhorns. The Gamecocks also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says it all in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe: “Hello, Miss Joyce Edwards.”
South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards kept it short and simple when asked about the Gamecocks’ win.
“We locked in and did what the game needed,” Edwards said in a postgame interview on ESPN. “My teammates gave me the confidence to keep going and I was glad to contribute to this win.”
Edwards also said the preparation will begin immediately for Sunday’s final against either UConn or UCLA.
“We got to take the momentum from this into the next game, start scouting and turn the page.”
