Breathe, South Carolina fans, because the Gamecock's fight for a three-peat is still alive as head coach Dawn Staley and her squad are moving on. After a hard-fought battle where South Carolina weathered everything Maryland threw at them, the Gamecocks walked away with the 71-67 win over the Terrapins.
Off the bench, MiLaysia Fulwiley made her presence known as she led the Gamecocks in scoring with 23 points against Maryland but also added five rebounds in the mix. Maryland's defense proved to be as advertised as the Terrapins held South Carolina to just 38.5% shooting from the floor and only 26.7% from 3-point range.
Where South Carolina dominated, though, and it was a huge difference in the game was on the boards. The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Terrapins 47-34 with 13 offensive rebounds compared to Maryland's seven. Even though Maryland won the turnover battle 14-18, the Terrapins had turnovers late in the game that cost them the possessions they needed.
Down just three points, Maryland had an unforced turnover that South Carolina took advantage of by getting fouled and hitting their free throws. Staley probably would have wanted a higher free throw percentage than 81%, but it was enough for the win.
The Gamecocks had fans sweating throughout the entire game as they were down 33-31 at halftime as they were outscored by three points in the second half. However, even though it took them some time in the third quarter, South Carolina was able to capitalize on big missed shots by Maryland and make some on their own end to outscore Maryland 21-17 in the third quarter to gain a two-point lead of their own.
The Gamecocks will now ready themselves as they head to their fifth straight Elite Eight, and their bid for a three-peat is still very much alive. South Carolina is set to face 2-seed Duke in the Elite Eight as they beat 3-seed UNC earlier in the day. They are set to play Sunday, March 30 at 1:00 p.m. EST.