Sania Feagin compliments freshman for first half performance after enhancing her leadership role

No. 1 South Carolina closed the half well against No. 1 Iowa in the national championship. That was in large part due to a pair of freshmen who helped the Gamecocks to take a three-point lead at the half.

Sania Feagin credited the overall play of Milaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson off the bench as South Carolina went back to the locker room up 49-46 in the national title game in the NCAA Tournament. She applauded them for making the most of their moments through the first half from Cleveland in the biggest games of their lives.

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“I love that they’re taking advantage of every opportunity they’re given. They’re attacking, they’re scoring,” said Feagin. “That’s what we need them to do.”

Fulwiley and Johnson combined for 16 points in the first half. Fulwiley three assists, three rebounds, and a block in a productive first half.

As for Feagin, she herself had six points on 60% shooting along with three rebounds and a block off the bench. That was part of an effort on the glass that she and the Gamecocks showed to start the game with several offensive boards in their box score.

“Just trying to rebound every ball and then take that,” Feagin said. “Just trying to clean up every board that’s not going in.”

Bench play has been a plus for South Carolina early on against the Hawkeyes. They’ll need it to continue too in order to be the team that’s cutting the nets after the final buzzer.

Angel Reese comments on tight officiating in national championship game

Just about all eyes are on the Iowa vs. South Carolina matchup in the national championship game on Sunday, including those of LSU superstar Angel Reese.

Reese, whose team was eliminated by the Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight, seemed to be upset with the officiating early on.

“[I] see how this game is about to go smh,” Reese wrote on Twitter.

Then, when a fan tweeted at her saying they were “trying to refrain from tweeting about some of these calls” Reese responded again.

“[I]’ve typed up so many things and just hit delete about 6 times already,” she wrote.

The calls in the early going favored Iowa, with the Hawkeyes getting to the free-throw line 11 times in the first half, compared to just five times for South Carolina.

Superstar Caitlin Clark got to the line six times in the first half of the national championship game. That’s more than the rest of the South Carolina squad combined. A couple South Carolina players also found themselves in foul trouble early, with guard Tessa Johnson, forward Ashlyn Watkins and guard Bree Hall all having two in the first half.