NCAAW: Daybreak Staley, South Carolina are again within the Remaining 4

Swish Enchantment’s contributing author, Stephanie Kaloi, and photographer, Christina Merrion, had been in Birmingham to chronicle and seize Sunday’s Elite Eight showdown between South Carolina and Duke. Right here’s what they noticed, with phrases from Stephanie and photographs from Christina.

There was by no means a doubt that Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup between No. 1-seed South Carolina and No. 2-seed Duke Blue Devils was going to be robust—and each groups greater than delivered. The Gamecocks finally prevailed after a 40-minute struggle, 54-50.

To begin the sport, Duke’s Toby Fournier was chargeable for most of her workforce’s success, although her efforts had been matched by Sania Feagin, Chloe Kitts, and MiLaysia Fulwiley on the South Carolina facet. Raven Johnson deftly stepped in when wanted on the high of the second when she hit a 3-pointer as Kitts and Feagin additionally stored issues transferring within the Gamecocks’ route with a mixed 12 factors. South Carolina led issues 26-22 on the half.

As they’re wont to do, Duke got here out of halftime on hearth, ending the third interval with a 42-38 lead. Ashlon Jackson and Reigan Richardson proved particularly impactful for the Blue Devils, netting a mixed 15 factors.

The fourth quarter battle was heated from the start. Each groups had been enjoying onerous and quick, with bucket after bucket matched. If any group made their presence identified, it was South Carolina’s followers, or FAMS, who spent a lot of the quarter screaming themselves hoarse in an try to encourage the Gamecocks. After a layup from Te-Hina Paopao pushed South Carolina forward, a fast shot from Kitts on the six-minute mark pulled the workforce up 46-42.

However the Blue Devils had been unwilling to go simply. Fournier tied the sport up 46-46 with just below 5 minutes left, prompting a timeout. Sania Feagin broke the standoff, hitting a shot to convey the rating to 48-46. Quickly thereafter, a swath of South Carolina followers and Duke followers rose to their toes, the sport at 52-50 in South Carolina’s favor with beneath a minute to go.

South Carolina assistant coach Khadijah Periods.

Johnson made the more often than not. She handed to Feagin, who missed a layup. The ball went out of bounds, incomes the Gamecocks one other probability—simply when the second (and the sport clock) went beneath overview. The clock was reset to 29.8 and Duke was instantly rewarded with a cost name towards the Gamecocks, though a lot of the crowd was not happy.

Duke took possession with an opportunity to take the lead. Jackson tried and missed a 3-pointer that was caught by Bree Corridor with 6.4 seconds on the clock—a second that each one however sealed the Blue Devils’ destiny. With the clock reset to 7.2 seconds, Kitts was instantly fouled because the Gamecocks inbounded the ball. She landed each free throws, bringing the rating to 54-50 and prompting a Duke timeout. The Blue Devils turned the ball over on their closing possession, sending the Gamecocks again to the Remaining 4 for a fifth-straight season.

It was clear for a lot of the sport that Feagin wasn’t on the courtroom to do something aside from win. Her 12-point and eight-rebound effort was complemented by Kitts, who hit free throw after free throw all afternoon to complete with a team-high 14 factors. Papao and Johnson additionally had standout afternoons for the Gamecocks, hitting each shot they wanted to proper when it was a very powerful to take action. The pair, who’re each anticipated to enter the WNBA Draft this 12 months, completed the night time with 9 and 7 factors, respectively.

Now, the Gamecocks and head coach Daybreak Staley will put together for the Remaining 4 in Tampa, the place they’ll No. 1-seed Texas or No. 2-seed TCU on Friday, April 4.