ALBANY, N.Y. – South Carolina ladies’s basketball held off a livid comeback bid to carry off Indiana, 79-75, within the Candy 16 Friday at MVP Area to advance to a fourth-consecutive Elite Eight.
The No. 4-seeded Hoosiers (26-6) reduce the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks’ lead all the way in which down to 2 factors within the final minute of the sport, however South Carolina (35-0) turned to sophomore guard Raven Johnson to ice the sport.
Johnson hit a 3-pointer and a free throw to place it out of Indiana’s attain and completed with 14 factors. Senior middle Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 factors to guide the Gamecocks.
South Carolina entered the fourth quarter disjointed and out of kinds, unable to make a shot to open the interval as Indiana reduce the deficit to 5 factors on the remaining media timeout.
After constructing a lead as much as 17 factors at halftime, South Carolina began the second half sizzling. A Johnson 3-pointer made it a 22-point recreation, however Indiana made six consecutive area targets to slim the deficit to 13.
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The Gamecocks ended the primary quarter on a 14-3 run, capping off a sizzling taking pictures begin during which they made 5-of-7 3-pointers.
Kamilla Cardoso dominates Indiana within the paint
Cardoso took benefit of a measurement benefit over the Hoosiers.
Cardoso, who at 6-foot-7 had a four-inch benefit over Indiana’s lineup, proved laborious for the Hoosiers to match up with. She offered probably the most constant scoring choice for the Gamecocks and was as environment friendly as ever, going 10-for-12 from the sphere.
South Carolina struggles to sluggish 3-point onslaught
Indiana, who entered the sport because the No. 3 workforce within the nation in 3-point taking pictures proportion, shot 33 3-pointers in an effort to keep away from South Carolina’s forwards and unfold the ground. The Hoosiers completed with 39% from that vary on 13-for-33 taking pictures.
The Gamecocks struggled to sluggish the taking pictures, particularly within the second half, the place the Hoosiers shot 7-for-16 from past the arc to chop away on the lead.
South Carolina builds first half lead with vastly completely different quarters
The Gamecocks took two fully completely different recreation plans into the primary and second quarter.
The Gamecocks shot 5-of-7 from 3-point vary within the first quarter to construct an 11-point hole. When the alternatives to shoot from deep dried up within the second quarter, they turned inside, scoring 18 factors within the paint.