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Virgin Islanders will get to watch one of their own in the Final Four this weekend after Aliyah Boston and South Carolina punched their ticket to the national semifinals after defeating Creighton 80-50 Sunday night.
Boston finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds, which snapped her double-double streak at 27 straight games. The streak will go down as the fifth longest double-double in NCAA history, according to ESPN.
Boston was very efficient as she made seven of her nine shot attempts from the field.
The junior center scored five of South Carolina’s first 13 points in the first four and half minutes of the game as the Gamecocks built a 13-5 lead with about five and half minutes left in the first quarter.
Creighton cut the deficit to 3, 15-12, with about three minutes left in the first quarter but South Carolina went on an 8-2 run to close the first quarter.
South Carolina dominated the second quarter from start to finish and outscored Creighton, 23-9 which gave them a sizable 46-25 lead at halftime.
South Carolina led by at least 18 points the entire second half.
In a post game press conference, Boston was asked about her double-double streak ending.“We’re off to the Final Four. The streak ends but we’re still playing and that’s all that matters," she said.
This is South Carolina’s second straight year making it to the Final Four. Last year they lost to Stanford by one point, 66-65, after Boston missed a shot attempt at the final buzzer that would have sent South Carolina to the national title game.
When asked how much she has thought about the final seconds of that game, she said, “I didn’t replay any of that. I think part of growing up and maturing is being able to move on, so that happened last season but that’s not something I can continue to think about or else there wouldn't be any progress.”
There is a possibility that South Carolina could have a chance of redemption against Stanford in the national title game if both teams win their games on Friday.
South Carolina will play the winner of Louisville vs. Michigan and Stanford will play the winner of North Carolina State and UConn.
The Louisville vs. Michigan game and the North Carolina State vs. UConn games will be played on Monday night.
The Final Four will begin on Friday and there will be a game at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The national title game will be played on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. All three Final Four games will be televised on ESPN.
