South Carolina had to rally (twice) to reach the Final Four. Can the reigning champs still run it back?
South Carolina trailed by four points heading into the fourth quarter against Duke in the Elite Eight. The Gamecocks had 10 minutes left to keep their season alive.
Te-Hina Paopao told her teammates to start off fast in the first five minutes so they could reclaim the lead. MiLaysia Fulwiley urged the upperclassmen not to get baited into taking bad shots, to remember they are the reigning national champions, the team that knows how to win when it matters most.
Bree Hall thought back to a text message she received earlier in the day from former teammate Aaliyah Boston, telling her to remain calm in the big moments, to let the plays come to her.
The huddle broke, and the Gamecocks starters took the floor. Sania Feagin started the scoring on a turnaround jumper. Raven Johnson hit two free throws. By the time Paopao made a driving layup and Chloe Kitts followed with a layup in the paint, the pro-South Carolina crowd was in a frenzy.
South Carolina had its first lead since the start of the third quarter. Duke pushed the Gamecocks to the finish before Hall’s defensive stop sealed a 54-50 win and a spot in the Final Four.
But for the third consecutive game, the Gamecocks needed a comeback to win. For the second game in a row, they needed a fourth-quarter rally.
Staley admitted afterward it was not always going to look pretty, and the nerve-wracking four-point victories in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight left some questioning whether South Carolina can run it back. The Gamecocks have looked disjointed at times, taken poor shots and made uncharacteristic mistakes. And their bench, which leads the nation in scoring, has not been nearly as consistent as it was in the regular season as freshman Joyce Edwards has been neutralized and Fulwiley has been up and down.
The Gamecocks don’t think what happened in Birmingham indicates they are vulnerable in Tampa.
„These teams are really good“, Hall said in the locker room after the win over Duke. „I don’t know why everybody expects us to just blow everybody out. These teams are coming to play. It’s not going to be easy. Every team is going to be ready for us, so I think having a few wins like this under our belts is definitely going to keep helping us throughout the tournament.
