2021 NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - FINAL FOUR
National Semifinals, San Antonio, TX
#1 Seed SOUTH CAROLINA vs #1 Seed STANFORD
NCAA TOURNAMENT
#1 SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS (26-4) VS. #1 STANFORD CARDINAL (29-2)
FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 6:00 P.M. ET | SAN ANTONIO, TX | ALAMODOME
OPPONENT SERIES HISTORY: PDF | WATCH:
| LISTEN ONLINE STREAM: 107.5 The Game | Live StatsGAMECOCK NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Appearances: 17 (1982, 1986, 1988, 1989,1990, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
Overall Record (Staley Era): 33-15 (25-7)
Sweet 16 Appearances: 11 (1982, 1990, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
Elite Eight Appearances: 5 (2002, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021)
Final Four Appearances: 3 (2015, 2017, 2021)
National Championships: 1 (2017)
Italics indicates during the Dawn Staley era
SAN ANTONIO -- The No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks (26-4, 14-1 SEC) enter the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament against the No. 1-seeded Stanford Cardinal this Friday April 2. Tip-off for the game is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Final Four appearance is South Carolina's third all-time, and third in six years, all under Head Coach Dawn Staley.
It is also the second Final Four in a row against the Stanford Cardinal, and the first meeting between the two teams since that 2017 semifinal game that was won by the Gamecocks 62-53 on the way to their national championship. That win was the first for South Carolina against Stanford after five consecutive losses in their series history.
The Gamecocks advanced by defeating Dawn Staley's longtime coaching nemesis Vic Schaefer and the #6 Seeded Texas Longhorns 62-34 in the HemisFair Regional Final (Elite Eight).
Zia Cooke scored 16 points and South Carolina used its stifling defense to advance to the Final Four for the third time, shutting down Texas for a 62-34 victory Tuesday night.
Top-seeded South Carolina blocked 14 shots, nine by Laeticia Amihere, and held No. 6 Texas to 23% shooting. The Longhorns were outscored 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Gamecocks have been on a mission ever since they felt they were denied a real chance at the national title last season when the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of the pandemic. It showed all night long, but especially during the first scoreless quarter in the tourney since the women's game went to quarters in 2016.
South Carolina (26-4) won the Hemisfair Region to advance to Friday's national semifinal against the winner of Tuesday night's Alamo Region final between No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Louisville.
Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton each scored 12 for the Gamecocks, and Amihere also had 10 points and eight rebounds in a terrific all-around performance.
South Carolina ran out to an 19-point lead in the third quarter, and responded to a Texas run with a burst started by a 3-pointer from Henderson. Then it put a lid on basket in the fourth.
South Carolina had no problems attacking the Texas defense early, with three backdoor passes for layups by Saxton as the Gamecocks raced to an 18-7 lead. And the Gamecocks denied drives to the basket and produced four quick blocks when Texas tried.
The Longhorns shot just 3 of 16 in the first quarter. Meanwhile, South Carolina shot 57% in the first half and stretched the lead to 41-22 early in the third before Texas clawed back with a 9-0 run that forced Staley to call timeout.
South Carolina answered with a 3-pointer from Henderson to start the Gamecocks on the run that would put the game away.
GAMECHANGER
At no point did South Carolina look out of control on Tuesday, opening the game on a 14-2 run highlighted by junior Victaria Saxton scoring the first eight points of the night for the Gamecocks.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks dismantled Texas defensively, holding UT to 14-of-61 (.230) from the field and 34 points, tied for the fewest points scored in any NCAA Tournament game from the Sweet 16 or later. The 12 points scored by Texas in the second half is the lowest total for any half of an Elite 8 round game in tournament history.
NOTABLES
- With the win South Carolina advances to the Final Four for the third time in program history, all under Dawn Staley and all in the last six seasons.
- South Carolina's defense smothered Texas in the fourth quarter, holding the Longhorns scoreless in the period. This is the first time a team held its opponent scoreless for a quarter in NCAA Tournament history.
- The Gamecocks re-wrote some program records with the win – Fewest points allowed in a NCAA Tournament game (34); most blocked shots in a NCAA Tournament game (14); tied fewest points allowed in a quarter (0); tied third fewest points allowed in a second half (12).
- South Carolina continued its season-long streak of not being outrebounded, holding a 46-33 edge over the Longhorns.
- Sophomore Zia Cooke lit up in the second quarter, scoring 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second on her way to the Hemisfair Region Most Outstanding Player award. Cooke is averaging 14 points in the tournament.
- Junior Victaria Saxton opened the game on fire scoring the first eight South Carolina points of the night on her way to a 12-point eight-rebound performance and a spot on the Hemisfair All-Region team.
- Junior Destanni Henderson had a quiet first half offensively but dished out five of her seven assists before the break. She got hot in the third quarter, scoring seven of her 12 points in the third.
- Sophomore Laeticia Amihere shook off some early foul trouble to continue her big contributions off the bench, scoring all 10 of her points snagging seven of her eight rebounds and notching all nine of her blocks in the second half, securing a spot on the Hemisfair All-Region team. Her nine blocked shots are a program record for NCAA Tournament games.
- Sophomore Aliyah Boston did most of her offensive damage in the first quarter, scoring six of her 10 points in the opening frame. Boston feasted on the boards in the third, snatching five of her eight rebounds in the third quarter on her way to a spot on the Hemisfair All-Region team.
