S. Carolina defeats Texas in 4th

SAN ANTONIO – One by one, South Carolina players walked through the confetti and climbed the ladder to cut the net at the Alamodome.

It was just that Gamecocks were able to keep the nylon. They used it a lot more than Texas.

Zia Cooke scored 16 points and South Carolina used its stifling defense to advance to the Final Four for the third time, closing Texas for a 62-34 victory on Tuesday night.

South Carolina, who was at the top of the table, blocked 14 shots, nine from Laeticia Amihere, and maintained Texas position 6 with 23% of shots. The Longhorns were defeated 10-0 in the fourth period.

Gamecocks have been on a mission since they felt they had no real chance of winning the national title last season, when the NCAA tournament was canceled because of the pandemic. It showed all night, but especially during the first goalless quarter in the tournament, as women’s football went to the quarters in 2016.

“It says they are locked up,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. “They have been focused, they wanted the opportunity to reach the Final Four. They don’t know anything about what they just accomplished. I like who we are bringing to this Final Four.”

South Carolina (26-4) defeated the Hemisfair Region and advanced to Friday’s national semifinal against teammate 1, Stanford.

Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton scored 12 points each for Gamecocks, and Amihere also had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

South Carolina reached a 19-point lead in the third quarter and responded to a race in Texas with a burst that started with Henderson’s three-point stroke. Then he put a lid on the basket in the room.

“We don’t back down from anyone,” said Cooke. “We just made sure to step on the gas, keep our guard up and do what we needed to do.”

Staley ran his championship game record against Texas’ Vic Schaefer to 6-0, dating from when they faced each other in the SEC when Schaefer was in the state of Mississippi. That includes beating Schaefer in the 2017 national final.

“They can test you in everything you do. Whether it’s in the three-point range or on the edge,” said Schaefer. “This is a reflection of Dawn. To me, these kids probably embody what she was like as a player.”

Schaefer took office in Texas in April and won an impressive postseason for the Longhorns behind an oppressive defense that brought the school to the brink of its first female Final Four since 2003.

Texas was trying to become only the third No. 6 seed to reach the Final Four since Notre Dame in 1997

“That feeling is difficult now,” said goalkeeper Kyra Lambert, who has played at least 38 minutes in the last three Texas games and opened the basket against Maryland in Sweet 16. “That’s not how I imagined it.

The Longhorns looked tired and a slow step after tough victories over UCLA and Maryland. They may just be worn out by the time they matched the big, fast Gamecocks, who pressed the ball around the perimeter and denied the kicks inside.

Audrey Warren led the Longhorns (21-10) with 13 points.

“Texas was a little tired,” said Staley. “I said, ‘They may have tired legs, but their hearts will continue to beat.’ And their hearts kept beating, only we never let them escape. “

South Carolina had no trouble attacking the Texas defense early on, with three backdoor passes for Saxton’s layups while the Gamecocks raced to an 18-7 lead. And the Gamecocks denied impulses for the basket and produced four quick blocks when Texas tried.

The Longhorns hit just 3 out of 16 in the first quarter. Meanwhile, South Carolina hit 57% in the first half and increased the lead to 41-22 at the start of the third, before Texas recovered with a 9-0 streak that forced Staley to time out.

South Carolina responded with Henderson’s three-pointer to start the Gamecocks in the race that would put the game aside.

ALAMO REGION FINAL

STANFORD 78, LOUISVILLE 63

Lexie Hull scored 21 points when Stanford made it to the Final Four as he fought to win over Louisville.

Stanford (29-2) lost 12 points in the middle of the third quarter before scoring 13 consecutive points to take his first advantage since the start of the game. The teams traded the baskets for the rest of the period, and the number 2 in Louisville (26-4) went up 50-48 in the last quarter.

The cardinal scored the first 10 points of the quarter to rise 58-50. This race was crowned by three points from Kiana Williams. The San Antonio native had a difficult start, missing 11 of her first 12 shots. She finally started to attack, hitting four shots in a row to help Stanford build his leadership.

Stanford won 68-60 with just over three minutes left, when Williams hit back a third step that sealed the victory. She finished with 14 points.

The victory takes the cardinal one step closer to placing trainer Tara VanDerveer in his first national championship since 1992 and third overall. The Cardinal has now reached the 14th Final Four.

The defeat potentially ends the stellar high school career of All-America shipowner Dana Evans, who may decide to return next year, as the NCAA has granted all players an extra year of eligibility this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The senior guard scored 24 points for Louisville, but had little help in the attack.

Louisville had been playing a stifling defense throughout the tournament. In Tuesday night’s game, the Cardinals were allowing the tournament to drop 46 points per game and the teams were shooting just 29.5% at them.

They held Stanford with just 26 points in the first half and led 38-26 thanks to some strong moves from Evans, who scored 10 points at the start.