South Carolina Gamecocks drops Louisville, Advances to NCAA Women’s Championship
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The South Carolina Gamecocks took care of business by defeating former Metro Conference rival – the Louisville Cardinals – the top seed from the Wichita Region, by the score of 72-59.
South Carolina (34-2 overall and 15-1 SEC) opened the game with an 11-2 run, with 5:29 in the first quarter. Senior Forward Victaria Saxton (Rome, GA) scored the first points for the Lady Gamecocks, to put them ahead by the score of 2-0, with 9:16 remaining. However, Louisville would battle back, thanks to baskets from Olivia Cochran, Emily Engstler, Kianna Smith, and Olivia Cochran, to make them trail only by a 17-10 score at the conclusion of the 1st Quarter.
The second quarter was very close, as the Cardinals scored 18 times to the Lady Gamecocks 17 times, as South Carolina still led at the Half by the score of 34-28. At 4:36, Redshirt Senior Guard Kianna Smith (Moreno Valley, CA) tied the game with a jumper. After that, the Gamecock’s Brea Beal – a Junior Guard from Rock Island, IL made two layups – thanks to assists from Boston and Redshirt Junior Forward Laeticia Amihere (Milton, ON). At the conclusion of the quarter, she made another layup assisted by Boston.
Gamecock Junior Guard Zia Cooke (Toledo, OH) opened up the 3rd Quarter, thanks to a three-pointer assisted by Senior Guard Destanni Henderson (Fort Myers, FL), to make it 37-28, in South Carolina’s favor. Sixteen seconds later, she followed it up with a layup. Victaria Saxton made an assist to Henderson for a three-pointer, then followed up with two free throws to make it 44-30, with 7:40 remaining. The Gamecocks held a 57-49 advantage at the conclusion of the 3rd Quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Aliyah Boston started it off with a layup, to put the Gamecocks ahead by the score of 59-48, with 9:36 remaining. After that, Louisville Sophomore Forward Olivia Cochran (Columbus, GA) made two free throws, to get within nine at 7:47 remaining. The Gamecocks pulled away, thanks to free throws by Beal, Rivers, and Amihere and baskets from Saxton, Beal, and Boston. Junior Forward Aliyah Boston finished the game with 23 points and 18 rebounds.
On Sunday night, the Gamecocks will play the winner of the UCONN/Stanford game at 7 PM, which will be televised on ESPN.