SAN ANTONIO – Texas with the sixth seed cooled off at the worst possible moment, failing to muster a credible threat to South Carolina. Louisville had a straight shot at Stanford, but the cardinal with the best selection came back – and more – in the second half .
Stanford and South Carolina, # 1 seed in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament field that commanded a good deal of difficulty for the teams at the top, moved on to Final Four on Tuesday night to join another # seed 1, UConn, and Arizona’s third seedbed.
Stanford secured the last spot in the national semifinals with a 78-63 loss to Louisville, after losing 12 points at halftime. South Carolina won in the round of 16 with a 62-34 victory over Texas.
At the last sign of futility after a race that included defeats at UCLA and Maryland, Texas scored 0 points in the fourth period – missing all 15 shots. The Longhorns scored 23 percent in the game.
Gamecocks dominated from the start to win their third trip to the national semifinals and the first since winning a national title in 2017.
“When we were knocked down four times this season, they recovered stronger,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in an after-game television interview, referring to the Gamecocks’ four defeats this year. “And that is the mark of a true champion.”
Dana Evans of Louisville scored 10 of his 24 points in the first quarter, while the Cardinals kept Stanford below 28 percent in the first half.
But a 13-0 streak at the end of the third quarter put the cardinal ahead, as he began to contain the Louisville gunners. Then, Stanford ran away in the last 10 minutes. Lexie Hull had 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Haley Jones had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Stanford’s Ashten Prechtel, who finished with 16 points and made all six shots, opened the fourth quarter with a 3-point basket that reinforced Stanford’s confidence and provoked a decisive streak.
“It was difficult not to play in the first half – and I was nervous,” said Prechtel of Louisville’s advantage. At halftime, Prechtel said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer “attacked us a little” and said they would have to “compete in the second half” if they wanted to stay in San Antonio.
“Coming out of the break, there was an urgency about how we were going to play,” said Prechtel.
According to the NCAA, two black women will be the head coaches of the Final Four for the first time: Staley for South Carolina and Adia Barnes of No. 3 Arizona, who will face UConn in the national semifinal.
“There are so many black coaches out there who don’t have the opportunity, because when ADs don’t see, they don’t see,” Staley told reporters after the game, referring to sports directors. “They are going to watch the Final Four on Friday night.”
“Representation is important and is nothing against anyone who has lost to us,” she added. “I hope that decision makers – because there are so many jobs out there – that you give black women a chance.”
Staley’s team passed through the famous Texas defense with ease, with Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson repeatedly feeding Victaria Saxton in the painting. Cooke led with 16 points and added 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Henderson had 12 points and 7 assists, while Saxton had 12 points and 8 rebounds.
The Longhorns went into action briefly in the third quarter, when more and more Texas fans joined the audience after work hours, reinforcing the screams and shouts that echoed through the cavernous walls of the stadium at the Alamodome.
Audrey Warren, who led Texas with 13 points, scored two of her – and the team’s – three points out of 3 in the third quarter. And at one point, Texas was 10 points off South Carolina on a Lauren Ebo second chance tray.
But that was as close as the Longhorns came after South Carolina reached an initial advantage of 15 points and scored 14 points behind the Texas turns. Looking exhausted and overwhelmed after Warren scored his final points in the third quarter, the Longhorns let South Carolina celebrate early with a big run as they continued to watch their kicks bounce off the edge, without adding a single point to their score in the final ten period. one minute.
“It was hard for me not to get too excited,” South Carolina’s Cooke said of the last quarter in a call with reporters after the game.
It was the first goalless period in the women’s tournament since the NCAA switched halves to quarters in 2016, according to the organization’s records. (South Dakota had previously set a record for the lowest-scoring fourth in a 1-point tournament game against Oregon in the first round.)
“I thought it was a very good defensive performance, but I also think Texas was a little tired,” said Staley.
“I’m always looking forward to playing against Vic because of what he puts in his scouting reports, game planning and machinations,” Staley told reporters on Monday.
Even without the pandemic, Texas underwent a significant transition this summer when Schaefer replaced longtime trainer Karen Aston. Players recalled that they struggled to get to know and get to know their coaches during video calls and limited training, and said it helped them to relate and reach the peak at the right time within the controlled environment created for the tournament.
It was a relatively quiet night for South Carolina sophomore striker Aliyah Boston and Texas junior center Charli Collier, who averaged doubles in this tournament and faced off on Tuesday night. Boston, which competes for some player of the year awards, had 10 points and 8 rebounds; Collier, who is projected to be the No. 1 choice in the WNBA draft, was left with 4 points after missing 8 of 10 shots.
Boston also had a slow start during the South Carolina round of 16 game against Georgia Tech, but recovered in the second half, where he scored all 9 points. But in that game his teammates came on the scene, led by Cooke on the perimeter with 17 points in a 76-65 victory.
With its powerful defense, Texas was also able to maintain the No. 2 ranking in Maryland with its lowest score of the season in a 64-61 turn to advance to the round of 8, limiting the Terrapins’ possessions and forcing 11 turnovers .
The fans also helped, said Schaefer. The university, located in Austin, is about 80 miles from San Antonio, the center of the tournament where most of its games were held. “I thought our fans provided a great atmosphere for both teams,” said Schaefer on Monday.
South Carolina will play with the best Stanford team. On Monday night, UConn with number 1 and Arizona with third place squeezed over their opponents to prepare for the other semifinal. Both semifinals are scheduled for Friday night.