South Carolina women's basketball: Rapid Reaction - Indiana
South Carolina beat Indiana 64-53 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive tournament. Here’s what stood out from the game.
– In the same way the Tennessee Tech game was all about the youngsters making their mark, Sunday’s game against Indiana was about the veterans exerting their grit.
South Carolina really had to gut out that win, and it was the seniors, plus third-year Chloe Kitts, that turned the game around in the third quarter. The starting group played well into the fourth quarter, something that has seldom – if ever – happened this season.
You could practically see “This isn’t our last game” written on their faces. It was perfectly symbolized by Te-Hina Paopao, not known for her defense, getting four blocks (she had nine all season) and two steals.
“Yeah, y’all see that? I’m really proud of myself. I had more blocks than threes today, but that’s okay,” Paopao said. “I’m part of the seatbelt gang now, so I’m really proud of that, as well.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Xavier hires Pitino
Richard Pitino joins dad in Big East
- 2Hot
Gunner Stockton
Sly parting shot at Carson Beck
- 3Trending
Bedlam in Spring?
Mike Gundy pitches rivalry as spring game
- 4
Troy Taylor
Stanford, Andrew Luck fire head coach
- 5
Paul Finebaum
Calipari success a disaster for Kentucky
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Be in the know about all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer!
– Joyce Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina’s stars on Friday, had off games on Sunday. Edwards had just five points on 2-8 shooting, plus five turnovers. Edwards did grab six rebounds, and she scored an important basket late in the game. Indiana doubled Edwards constantly, but it still seemed like nothing was going her way.
“You’ve just got to turn the page really quickly,” Edwards said.
Fulwiley had three points on 1-4 shooting, two steals, plus a block, rebound, and assist. She only played 10 minutes and was visibly struggling to catch her breath on the bench. She insisted she felt fine, but did tell me she had a bit of a chest cold that was bothering her.
– Tessa Johnson deserves recognition for hitting her free throws. South Carolina struggled from the line on Sunday, going just 11-16. But in the final minute, Johnson went 4-4 to seal the win. Staley wanted the ball to go to Johnson, who shot 79.1% this season, and the confidence paid off.
