Aliyah Boston and South Carolina Gamecock team mates celebrate during their stellar performance against second-seeded Maryland Monday night. By. GETTY IMAGES
Aaliyah Boston had a scorching Monday night, putting up 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists against second-seeded Maryland in her best game of the season thus far. Her stellar performance, a part of the team’s cohesive offense, helped the South Carolina Gamecocks advance into the Final Four of the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Championship.
Unbeaten all season, the Gamecocks continued their winning streak by dispatching the Maryland Terrapins on March 27th. Lagging behind the Terps 21-15 in the first quarter, the Gamecocks recovered to finish the half with an eight-point lead, helped by Boston’s 12 points in that period of gameplay.
Once they had established the lead, the Gamecocks never looked back. By the end of the 3rd quarter the scoreline stood at 62-58 in favor of South Carolina, and with the assistance of a layup and a jumper from Boston before she was subbed out in the 4th quarter, the Gamecocks ended the game by accumulating an additional 24 points, for a final score of 86-75.
In a post-game interview, Coach Dawn Staley praised Boston’s incredible performance. “She made some incredible drives, she was just all over the place,” Ms. Staley said, referencing a strategy to make Boston a “moving target” by changing her position often. “I thought we did a great job…allowing us to play through her no matter where she was on the court,” the coach continued.
“She was due,” Staley opined about Boston’s explosive Monday night performance, her best game thus far throughout the tournament. “She was due for one of these big games.”
Boston and the Gamecocks head into the team’s third consecutive Final Four matchup, playing Iowa on Friday night.
