The South Carolina Lady Gamecocks only need one more win to have a perfect season. That will be decided at the U.S. Championship game.
No. 1 South Carolina opened the women’s basketball Final Four with a 78-59 victory over No. 3 North Carolina State on Friday night in Cleveland.
And of course, the Gamecocks were led by center Camila Cardoso, who had a team-high 22 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. She missed just two shots and made 10 of her 12 field goals.
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Camila Cardoso of the South Carolina Gamecocks plays River Baldwin of the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. to play against. (Gregory Shams/Getty Images)
The scores showed South Carolina winning comfortably, but the first quarter ended at 16 points apiece and the Gamecocks held a one-point lead, 32-31, at the halftime buzzer. That wasn’t the case afterwards.
But Dawn Staley’s group relentlessly attacked on both ends of the floor in the third quarter, dooming the Wolfpack’s hopes of finishing the season undefeated.
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South Carolina outscored North Carolina State 29-6 and maintained the pace in the fourth quarter to secure a national championship berth.
South Carolina Gamecocks’ Tehina Paopao (left) and Milesia Fulwilly react during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Two years ago, the Gamecocks were in this position and ultimately defeated UConn 64-49 to win the national title. He was the second person in school history to do so. The first was a win over Mississippi State in 2017.
They will wait for the winner of UConn and Iowa to find out who their championship opponent will be.
Taking a closer look at the box score, Raven Johnson added 13 points, two rebounds, and five assists for the Gamecocks, and also contributed defensively with three steals. Tehina Paopao had 10 points and six assists.
Camila Cardoso of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts during the Final Four semifinal game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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For North Carolina State, Asiaha James led the team with 20 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field. She struggled from beyond the arc, missing only 3 of 10 3-point shots. River Baldwin also had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Wolfpack, and Zoe Brooks had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.
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