BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina women’s basketball players were more subdued than usual in the locker room after surviving a Sweet 16 scare against No. 4 seed Maryland on Friday. A sense of relief was in the air, but also some disappointment.
“Today felt like a loss to us,” senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said.
The No. 1 Gamecocks pulled out a 71-67 victory against the Terrapins in a matchup that was a full 40 minutes of scrappy chaos.
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“If we play like this again,” Paopao said, “we’re going home Sunday.”
South Carolina finished the regular season with only three losses and an NCAA-best seven wins over top-10 opponents. They won those games by an average of 20 points.
Now, the Gamecocks have trailed at halftime two NCAA Tournament games in a row. They were down by two points Friday against Maryland and by one at the half against Indiana in the second round.
“We’re down half the game, and we can’t do that anymore,” senior forward Sania Feagin said. “It’s March.”
MiLaysia Fulwiley gives South Carolina a bench boost
Sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley took charge of South Carolina’s offense Friday, scoring 23 points off the bench, one point away from her career high. The Gamecocks lead the country in bench points per game with 41.5.
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“Every game I feel like I need to do more,” sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley said after the win over Maryland.
Paopao, Feagin and Fulwiley were all part of the Gamecocks’ undefeated season and run to the national championship last year. South Carolina is the fifth NCAA program in history to accomplish that feat, and the Gamecocks set a program record of 38 wins while doing so. It’s no surprise their standards are high.
“I think we have to do a good job with just making sure they’re confident,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said. “How we do that is just making sure we’re prepared.”
Who does South Carolina women’s basketball play next?
On Sunday, the Gamecocks will play No. 2 Duke, which beat North Carolina 47-38 on Friday, in the Elite Eight.
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Olivia Noni is a student in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Dawn Staley, South Carolina reacted to Sweet 16 scare vs. Maryland
