Aliyah Boston leads South Carolina woman's basketball to Elite Eight

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Aliyah Boston had one of the greatest games in program history, notching 28 points and 22 rebounds, and South Carolina held off North Carolina 69-61 to advance to the Elite Eight. 

South Carolina led 56-45 going into the fourth quarter, but the Gamecocks were running on fumes. After Boston made a layup to give South Carolina its largest lead of the game, North Carolina went on a 7-0 run.

South Carolina turned to Boston to quell the run, and she drew a foul and made a free throw. It was a sequence that would be repeated time after time as Boston crammed a good game into just the fourth quarter. 

The Tar Heels cut the Gamecocks’ lead to five, so Boston grabbed an offensive rebound and scored the putback. The Tar Heels cut the lead to four and the Gamecocks miss a shot, so Boston grabbed the offensive rebound, drew the foul, and made both free throws. The Tar Heels pulled within four again, so Boston drove for a layup. With time winding down, Boston was fouled on an offensive rebound and hit both free throws to clinch the win. 

Boston scored all 13 of South Carolina’s points in the fourth quarter and also had nine rebounds. She hit 3-4 from the floor and 7-8 from the line. She did it despite not demanding the ball.

“I probably should have,” she said, laughing. “I was just being patient, and a lot of it, just like you said, came off of rebounds because they took expected shots. And I was able to just be there for the rebound, so I just tried to crash the boards.”

Uva’s Instant Reaction: North Carolina

Boston finished with 28 points and 22 rebounds, just the third 25-point, 20-rebound game in a Sweet 16 or later tournament game since 2000. She went 8-13 from the floor and 12-13 from the line. Boston set the school record for rebounds in a tournament game and offensive rebounds in a game (12). She is just a handful of rebounds away from breaking the school record for rebounds, offensive rebounds, and defensive rebounds in a tournament. 

“A lot of it just went to slowing down and being patient,” Boston said. “We worked on that over the past couple of practices and me reading the defense. And so once I did that, I just went to score.”

Before Boston dominated the fourth quarter, Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson ruled the first half. Cookebroke out of her shooting slump and scored all 15 of her points in the first half. Henderson added 11 of her 13, and the pair went 6-11 from three. Their shooting cooled off in the second, but they forced North Carolina to respect their shooting. 

“I think once they saw we started to hit a few threes, they started to come up on us, and they were able to bring Aliyah some good buckets,” Cooke said. “We were still able to get some shots, and we were still able for them to get rebounds for us, so it was pretty good.”

WBB Analysis: North Carolina

North Carolina hung with South Carolina on the glass in the first half, but South Carolina was plus-10 in the second half and plus-14 for the game. The disparity was greater on the offensive glass, where South Carolina 24 offensive rebounds and 27 second-chance points.

“The basket must look like an ocean because it either goes in or (Boston) gets it,” COurtney Banghart said. “She’s just a premier player. She’s generational in that way with how her body has transformed. She’s powerful and strong. She has kind of dancer footwork. She’s relentless. I wish she was old enough to go to the pro. I would be sitting in the front row celebrating her to be drafted because I think I’ve seen enough. I had one chance, and I’ve seen enough of Aliyah Boston.”

Notes:

Newly hire men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris attended the game. He sat with Charles Waddell, Ray Tanner, and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. Staley spoke to Paris before the game and told him he would love South Carolina. She warned him fans aren’t very patient. … Victaria Saxton had a career-high 14 rebounds, topping her previous career-high set last week. She took a hard fall in the second half but said it didn’t hurt (yet). … Saniya Rivers did not play. … South Carolina made the Elite Eight for the sixth time in program history and fifth time under Staley. … Announced attendance was 8,811. … South Carolina will face the winner of Iowa State-Creighton Sunday evening.