BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The problems from Sunday persisted, and lasted a little longer this time.
South Carolina women’s basketball struggled with turnovers, shot the ball well below its season average and never really picked up a head of steam in its Sweet 16 game against Maryland.
All of the problems from the second round win over Indiana.
Nevertheless, South Carolina won a gut check game.
This time the deficit persisted into the third quarter, with South Carolina trailing by as many as seven early in the second half. But the Gamecocks woke up, reeled in the deficit and will play for another trip to the Final Four after a 71-67 win over the Terrapins.
South Carolina trailed 60-59 with under three minutes remaining, firmly staring over the edge of the cliff for what would have been the program’s most disappointing loss since the 2016 Sweet 16.
MiLaysia Fulwiley, who helped keep South Carolina float in the first quarter with seven points — her seven and the 10 Chloe Kitts points accounted for all of South Carolina’s offense in the opening frame — drove in and scored, putting the Gamecocks up one. Two possessions later and after Kitts drew a foul and split a pair of free throws, another strong take by Fulwiley and a finish at the rim created a two-possession advantage for the first time in the entire fourth quarter.
Two more free throws took the lead to six before Maryland’s Saylor Poffenbarger knocked in a 3-pointer to trim the deficit in half with under half a minute remaining.
The red hot starts from Fulwiley and Kitts kept South Carolina in decent shape through the first quarter, but the lack of offense from the rest of the roster was always going to catch up. Joyce Edwards and Sania Feagin struggled to generate offense, the 3-point shooting was a non-factor for most of the afternoon and once Te-Hina Paopao picked up her second foul early in the second quarter, Maryland was able to lock in on the paint and keep the Gamecocks on the perimeter.
South Carolina scored just 14 points in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing for the second consecutive game. But unlike Indiana, a fire the Gamecocks extinguished with an early second half spurt, Maryland did not go away.
Kaylene Smikle, Sarah Te-Bisau and Shyanne Sellers all scored in double-figures, pacing a balanced Maryland attack that did not even shoot the 3-ball as well as it normally does at just a 3-of-12 mark. But mid-range jumpers, drives and free throws did the trick, enough to create serious doubt the entire way.
But the offense dried up in the final few minutes, as South Carolina showed its championship DNA just in time to preserve the opportunity to win another one.
One victory away from a trip back to the Final Four, with just Duke standing in the way on Sunday.
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