MINNEAPOLIS — The South Carolina Gamecocks will play for their second national championship in program history after a 72-59 win over Louisville in the national semifinal game Friday night.
Led by Naismith National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston, the Gamecocks used their interior game--and for a change, some outside sharpshooting--to put away the Cardinals at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Boston finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds.
USC raced out to an 11-2 lead early in the first quarter. Louisville, though would trim the lead to five, but for the couldn't get much closer until they went on an 12-0 run in the second quarter that gave them their first lead of the game.
That streak would be ended when Boston powered her way to the basket for a layup. Second later, Destanni Henderson would hit a three.
The two would go back and forth until right before the half, when USC took a six point lead to the locker room, 24-28.
In the third, the Gamecocks would once again get off to a good start, beginning on a 13-2 run. Another Henderson three with 5:37 to go in the quarter put them up 14, their largest lead of the game up to that point.
It would go up to 15 before Louisville made a run to cut the lead to six as the third quarter dwindle. But in the final seconds, Boston scored a layup and got fouled by Louisville's Emily Engster to convert a three point play to go up by 9 before the final quarter.
In the fourth, USC would hold off the final charges made by Stanford, as the Cardinal suffered a major blow when Engster fouled out with 4:48 to go.
USC will seek another title to go along with the one they secured back in 2017. That game will be played at 8 p.m. Eastern Sunday night.
With the victory Friday, USC tied their school record for wins (34) set back in the 2014-15 season.
The Gamecocks are in their fourth Final Four in program history, all of which have happened in the last seven years under Staley, and their second consecutive appearance. The Gamecocks also made their eighth straight Sweet 16 during this same tournament.