Joyce Edwards scored six of her game-high 24 points during a fourth-quarter deluge that sent Sacramento 4 Region No. 1 seed South Carolina to its sixth consecutive Final Four with a 78-52 rout of No. 3 seed TCU on Monday.
The Gamecocks (35-3) led the Horned Frogs throughout the third quarter but could not gain more than 10 points of separation. That changed in the fourth period when South Carolina erupted for a 14-0 run.
Edwards scored on three consecutive possessions during the decisive burst, each coming off of quick transitions. The Gamecocks successfully picked up the tempo in the fourth quarter, dominating the glass with a 15-2 rebounding margin and pushing the ball up the floor upon gaining possession.
South Carolina wound up holding TCU (32-6) to 33.3% shooting the floor and outrebounding the Horned Frogs 52-24. Edwards led the Gamecocks with 12 rebounds, while Raven Johnson snared eight boards to go with 10 points and six assists.
Tessa Johnson shot a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range for the Gamecocks on the way to 11 points, and Agot Makeer scored 18 points off the bench.
Makeer was vital to the pivotal run, scoring six points in less than two minutes to help jump-start the flurry.
Olivia Miles put up 18 points to lead TCU but was limited to 6-of-20 shooting from the floor. She hit 3 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc, helping the Horned Frogs connect on one triple more than South Carolina (seven to six).
However, the Gamecocks attempted nine 3-pointers to TCU’s 21, content to instead leverage their advantage on the inside. South Carolina outscored 46-28 TCU in the paint and doubled up the Horned Frogs at the free-throw line, 6-for-8 to 3-for-4.
South Carolina now heads to Phoenix as the fourth team to qualify for the Final Four. UCLA and reigning national champion UConn advanced on Sunday, while Texas blew out Michigan in the other Monday regional final.
The Gamecocks will oppose the Huskies in the semifinals on Friday in Phoenix.
–Field Level Media
