South Carolina Basketball: Elite Gamecocks 1 of 8 remaining; How to watch vs. Maryland
By Kevin Miller
The South Carolina basketball withstood their first test of this NCAA Tournament as they controlled all 40 minutes of basketball against the UCLA Bruins. The final 16-point margin did not show rightly the Gamecocks’ dominance, but Aliyah Boston and company were a juggernaut on defense, holding the Bruins to just 34 points before a 9-point outburst by UCLA in garbage time.
The 2-seed Maryland Terrapins have been almost as dominant as the Gamecocks this postseason. Led by Diamond Miller, Maryland had a very strong 2022-2023 regular season. The Terps went 28-6 with two of their losses with Miller on the shelf with a knee injury. The Gamecocks handily beat Maryland in College Park, but Miller was unavailable. Things will look a bit different this time around as the 6’3″ wing led Maryland in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals.
South Carolina played beneath their standards in the first two rounds of this NCAA Tournament but was still able to win by 30+ points over Norfolk State and South Florida. A better effort against UCLA saw Dawn Staley’s squad dominate again. Maryland’s three-game path has been dominant, as well, but the Terrapins played a 24-win Holy Cross, top-25 Arizona, and top-10 Notre Dame and won all three games by double-digits. The Elite Eight matchup, as it should be, projects to be the Gamecocks’ biggest test of the Tournament so far.
Brea Beal will likely draw the unenviable task of shadowing Miller, but if anyone can handle it, it’s #12. The All-American was put on ballots for her defensive prowess. A player who is capable of scoring when she is needed to do so, Beal has only averaged 6.3 points per contest. For her to be considered among the All-Americans tells someone all they would need to know about her defensive impact.
Working in Beal’s favor is the rest of South Carolina’s defense. Aliyah Boston, Victaria Saxton, and Kamilla Cardoso are all capable shot blockers. Versatile player Laeticia Amihere is tied for third on the team in blocks and may see time on Miller or down low guarding paint; either way, run-ins with Maryland’s All-American are guaranteed.
As good as Miller is, she is not the Terrapin’s only weapon. Their three-point shooting is good as they shoot over 36% from deep. Shyanne Sellers can score or facilitate from the point guard spot, and her ability to handle the basketball lets Diamond Miller conserve energy.
Two or three more big wings flank Miller and Sellers at almost all times in Maryland’s 5-out system. Abby Meyers, Lavender Briggs, and Brinae Alexander all score at least 7 points per game (Meyers scores 14), and all three of them can really shoot the basketball. Meyers and Briggs like to mix it up down low fighting for rebounds, as well. Eliza Pinzan offers Coach Brenda Freese another ball handler, while Faith Masonius plays a similar versatile brand of basketball as Miller does.
The Gamecocks are in for a fight against the Terrapins, but it is one they have been preparing for over the last four seasons. They will have a clear size advantage as Miller is the only Lady Terrapin taller than 6’1″ who gets regular minutes. 4 big-minute Gamecocks are taller than that (Boston, Saxton, Cardoso, and Amihere), and Beal is 6’1″. South Carolina will need to control the paint in order to control the game.
The Gamecocks have not shot the ball well this Tournament, but they have made up for it with suffocating defense, especially near the basket. A better offensive approach may be needed to keep up with a Maryland squad averaging over 80 points per game in their three Tournament game. Miller and Sellers have combined to score over 100 points in that span.
The Terps are the best offensive team Carolina has matched up with in this Tournament, and the Gamecocks are the best defensive team in the country. A good game should be in the cards when the 1-seed and 2-seed battle for a spot in the Final Four. The last game in Greenville will tip off at 7:00 on Monday, March 27th and will be broadcast on ESPN and the ESPN App.