South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate after they routed Texas to reach their third Final Four. Photo Credit: TROY TAORMINA, USA TODAY SPORTS
South Carolina will be playing in the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four after dominating Texas from start to finish in a resounding 62-34 rout in the Elite Eight on Tuesday night. South Carolina will play Stanford on Friday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m on ESPN. The winner of that matchup will play the winner of UConn vs. Arizona for the national championship on Sunday, April 4 at 6:00 p.m on ESPN.
South Carolina’s Victaria Saxton scored the Gamecocks' first eight points as they opened up the game on a 10-2 run that forced a timeout by Texas. Aliyah Boston got her first points after the timeout and Zia Cooke scored a layup, bringing South Carolina up 14-2 with four and half minutes into the game. South Carolina maintained their distance in the first quarter and led 18-7 going into the second quarter.
With the score 24-17 with about five minute left in the half, South Carolina went on a 13-2 run before Texas hit a three pointer for the last points of the half. The Gamecocks lead was 37-22 at the halftime break. South Carolina had more points in the paint, 24, in the first half than Texas’s 22 total points in the first half.
Ms. Boston was interviewed at halftime where she credited team communication for the team's stellar defense during the first half. “We’ve been doing a lot of talking and making sure we are on the same page," she said.
In responding to a question about her personal matchup in the game — Ms. Boston was matched with the WNBA’s projected first pick by ESPN, Charli Collier — she said, "I need to be more dominant. I’m up on the key a little bit too much than what coach wants. I need to get down to the post and just dominate, call for the ball and attack the basket," she said.
In the first half, Ms. Boston had 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal compared to Ms. Collier's 4 points, 2 rebounds and a block. Both players are 6’5, and ESPN broadcasters had said Ms. Boston needed to outperform Ms. Collier in the game.
During the second half, Texas went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 41-31 with 4:31 left in the third quarter. South Carolina responded by allowing just three points for the rest of the quarter while scoring 11 points, which gave them a 52-34 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
South Carolina’s defense was described as “suffocating” by the ESPN broadcasters. Texas’s last basket was made with 2:28 left in the third quarter and was held scoreless for the entirety of the fourth quarter. South Carolina blocked 14 shots in the game — the same number of field goals Texas made the entire game.
Ms. Cooke led the Gamecocks with 16 points, Ms. Saxton and Destanni Henderson finished with 12 points each. Ms. Boston finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Ms. Collier did not score in the second half.
After the game, Ms. Boston was interviewed by ESPN again and was asked how the team was able to hold Texas to scoreless in the fourth quarter. “We knew Texas could make a run at any time so we really just continued to communicate just like we did in the first half and made sure there were no slips," she said.
Ms. Boston gave high praise to her teammates and coaching staff in the same interview. “I have great teammates. God has blessed me with great teammates and a great coaching staff," she said. “I can’t wait to see what they will do to help get us to a championship.”
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