SACRAMENTO, CA — It may have been the first Sweet 16 appearance of Ta’Niya Latson’s career, but you would never be able to tell based off her performance on Saturday.
Latson led No. 1-seeded South Carolina to a 94-68 win over No. 4 Oklahoma with a game-high 28 points, the second-most she’s scored since joining the Gamecocks this season. She knew she was going to have a good day as soon as she opened her eyes Saturday morning.
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“I was feeling really good tonight. I woke up on the right side of the bed,” Latson said. “My teammates and my coaches, they believed in me so I just had to go out there with confidence and yeah, that was a game plan.”
The game plan was to get it to Latson early and often − she scored South Carolina’s first five points. By halftime, she was up to 18 points and finished shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the 3-point line and 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
“I’m so happy when I see the ball go in for (Latson),” said teammate Raven Johnson, who finished with 18 points. “All the things she’s been through. I mean Ta’Niya (Latson) is a hard worker… We talk a lot, not just about basketball, about life things. And I think Ta’Niya, I think she deserves everything that’s coming her way. And this is just the beginning.”
Latson may have been new to the stage, but playing alongside Johnson felt like old times. The two guards won three straight state championships together at Westlake High School in Atlanta, in addition to the GEICO National title in 2021.
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“It is such a surreal moment. I mean we kept in touch while I was at Florida State, so being on the sideline, being next to her, even in practice, it’s just like, ‘Dang, I’m playing with my best friend from high school,’” Latson said. “We cherish the moments that we have on the floor and we hope to win a championship together. It’s just a blessing to be together in our last year together.”
When asked if this was the best game they ever played together, Johnson and Latson simultaneously said no as their chemistry on and off the court was on display.
“It was like GEICO Nationals,” Latson said. “(Johnson) had 25 (points), I had 26 (points). Yeah, it was a monster game for both of us… We were turning everybody over.”
Dawn Staley requested her team “do that on Monday” in South Carolina’s sixth consecutive Elite Eight appearance on Monday, where they will face No. 3 TCU.
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The Elite Eight will be another first for Latson, but she’s not afraid of the moment. If anything, she’s grateful.
“It has been fun. I’ve had a good time,” she said. “My teammates, they give me confidence coming in. I feel a certain sense of calmness. They have that confidence walking in with their head high.
“I feel like I approached that game this way and they just gave me so much confidence and I’m just happy to be here.”
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson back on court with best friend Raven Johnson
