South Carolina’s second-half surge stuns NC State as Gamecocks advance to NCAA final
The N.C. State women’s basketball team kept unbeaten and top overall seed South Carolina close for a half, but the Gamecocks, buoyed by the return of Kamilla Cardoso, unleashed a barrage of scoring in the third quarter to pull away for a 78-59 win in the first of two national semifinals at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Friday.
Cardoso finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Gamecocks.
South Carolina (37-0) showed why it was the title favorite in the second half. Leading 32-31 at the break, the Gamecocks scored 16 points in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Wolfpack offense went cold — N.C. State managed just one field goal in the quarter. Aziaha James said they could’ve fought harder.
“We’ve had an unbelievable season. I’m proud of these young ladies, the run we’ve been on,” Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore said. “This stinks to end it this way, I’m sure after we’ve had a little bit of time away from it and can reflect, we have a lot to be proud of.”
N.C. State guard Saniya Rivers said the team wasn’t effective at controlling the things it was capable of controlling, noting the rebounding effort. Madison Hayes said the Wolfpack got “killed” in the third, but it’s something the team plans to learn from.
The Wolfpack (31-7) couldn’t shut down the paint, either, where USC scored 44 points compared to 20 for the Pack. The Gamecocks also outrebounded N.C. State, 46-31. Ashlyn Watkins pulled down 20 rebounds and scored eight points.
“That’s in our control,” Rivers said. “You take away her points, take those boards away, maybe we have a ballgame. But we won’t know, because she was a beast on the boards tonight.”
The transition defense and ball screens faltered as well, Mimi Collins said. Coupled with the lack of offense, South Carolina took control and never looked back.
James led the Wolfpack with 20 points. Zoe Brooks contributed 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in the loss.
Rivers, who transferred from South Carolina, struggled to find her shot early. She started 1 for 7 from the field and committed three turnovers. After averaging 15 points per game in the tournament, Rivers finished with five points on 2-of-11 shooting in 33 minutes.
“It just slipped away. They were hitting big shots. We weren’t hitting the shots that we usually hit,” Rivers said. “That’s all I can say. They were hitting everything. We were hitting nothing.”
Moore went to his bench late in the game, giving freshmen Maddie Cox, Laci Steele and Mallory Collier playing time on the biggest stage. Collier scored a basket and pulled down a rebound down the stretch.
“I was just thanking my teammates — I had a big frog in my throat — for helping get back here, because that’s all I wanted, whether we won. Whether we cut down championship nets,” Rivers said. “I’m not supposed to be satisfied, but I am truly satisfied with what we’ve done.”
The Wolfpack is set to lose Baldwin and Collins to graduation — both have exhausted their eligibility. But most of N.C. State’s roster is expected to return next year.
“This is fuel,” Rivers said. “The people that didn’t believe in us, that’s fuel. The loss is fuel. Of course the loss sucks, especially when you make it to the Final Four. You want to win it all, but we’re OK. We’re in high spirits and we’re just looking forward to next season.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2024 at 9:13 PM with the headline "South Carolina’s second-half surge stuns NC State as Gamecocks advance to NCAA final."
