BIRMINGHAM: South Carolina’s women’s basketball team will get the chance to defend their national championship title next weekend at the Final Four in Tampa. The Gamecocks scratched and clawed their way to a 54-50 win over Duke Sunday afternoon to win the Birmingham 2 Region at Legacy Arena
This will be the seventh Final Four trip for the Gamecocks, and their fifth in a row, as they seek their fourth national championship under Dawn Staley.
The regional win over Duke was anything but easy, though in the first half it appeared it would be easy. The Gamecocks built a 25-14 lead with 6:16 left in the first half but then went stone cold. Duke outscored the Gamecocks 8-1 to close out the half and trail 26-22.
The Blue Devils scored the first four points of the second half to tie the game at 26-26 and eventually built a six point lead as they continued to beat the Gamecocks on the boards. They outrebounded USC in the quarter 12-2 and had the momentum going into the fourth quarter with a 42-38 lead.
The Gamecocks, however, turned the game back their way in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter with stifling defense. Duke missed their first eight shots of the quarter while USC scored eight unanswered points for a 46-42 lead.
Duke finally got itself together and scored four straight points tying the game at 46 on a basket by Toby Fournier. She was fouled on the shot but missed the free throw. Thirty seconds later Sania Feagin hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to put the Gamecocks back up for good at 48-46. Duke missed a three, Feagin rebounded and Chloe Kitts was fouled on the other end. She made both free throws for a 50-46 advantage with 3:39 to play.
Fournier brought Duke back to within two with a layup, and after both sides had empty possessions, Kitts hit a layup to give USC a 52-48 lead with 1:47 to play.
Duke, however, would get a chance for a final possession hero moment. With just under a minute to play, the Blue Devils scored on a layup to make it a 52-50 score. Feagin missed a layup on the other end. Raven Johnson grabbed the rebound but Bree Hall was called for an offensive foul with :29 left to give Duke one last chance.
The Blue Devils worked the possession down to seven seconds with Ashlon Jackson taking a three-pointer that was off. Hall grabbed the rebound, and after a USC timeout, Kitts was fouled. She made both, Duke turned it over on their last possession, and the celebration was on at the USC bench and among the thoursands of Gamecock fans in attendance.
The Gamecocks won despite being outrebounded 41-30, including 19-6 on the offensive glass. Duke managed only 12 second chance points as the Blue Devils missed 14 layups. The Blue Devils attempted 16 more field goals than the Gamecocks. Both teams made 19 field goals with USC shooting 43% from the floor to 32% for Duke. The Gamecocks forced 19 Duke turnovers they converted into 14 points.
Kitts, the regional MVP, led the Gamecocks with 14 points and Feagin added 12 points. Fournier led all scorers with 18 points.
The Gamecocks are 34-3 and will face either Texas or TCU in the national semi-finals on Friday night at either 7:00 PM or 9:30 PM.
Final Stats
Dawn Staley postgame
Chloe Kitts, Sania Feagin & Bree Hall postgame
