No. 1 South Carolina 94, No. 4 Oklahoma 68
From the opening tip, head coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team proved their first-seed pedigree on Saturday in their Sweet 16 matchup against Oklahoma at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Powered by a two-pronged offensive attack of senior guards Ta’Niya Latson and Raven Johnson, the Gamecocks jumped to an early 10-0 lead. The Gamecocks coasted from that point forward, ending the first half 47-28.
The senior guards, who were high school teammates, reunited at South Carolina for their final season of college basketball.
“This is a surreal moment,” Latson said. “We cherish the moments we have together on this floor, and we hope to win a championship together.”
Latson and Johnson provided the scoring punch and recorded 34 points in the first half, while senior center Madina Okot and sophomore forward Joyce Edwards could not be denied on the glass.
The Sooners struggled to find any consistent scoring beyond freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez and senior center Raegan Beers, with the two combining for nearly half of Oklahoma’s first-half points.
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Out of half, the Sooners fought back. Down 19, Oklahoma got back-to-back threes from redshirt senior guard Payton Verhulst and sophomore guard Zya Vann, but every punch was responded with by South Carolina.
“The goal is to play advantageous basketball,” Staley said. “We need to play what’s given to us, and if we can’t, we need to be patient.”
Gamecocks junior guard Tessa Johnson scored seven straight points to match Oklahoma’s outburst, who had once again begun to lean on Beers as a consistent offensive outlet. The Sooners could not bridge the 20-point gap, as the duo of Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson matched every basket.
Chavez began to heat up from distance, but by the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game was far out of hand. South Carolina cruised through the final period, winning 94-68.
“I think we have a lot of room to grow,” Raven Johnson said. “When everyone’s clicking, the ceiling is high for us.”
Latson led the Gamecocks in scoring, ending the night with 28 points and perfect shooting from the free-throw line (10 of 10) and beyond the arc (4 of 4). Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson gave the Oklahoma defense plenty to cry about, combining for 32 points.
On the glass, Okot and Edwards snagged 12 and eight rebounds, respectively, fueling a rebounding advantage of 39-36 for the Gamecocks.
Chavez put in a valiant effort against one of the nation’s best teams, scoring 21 points while pushing the Sooners to a high tempo.
The Gamecocks will face the TCU Horned Frogs on Monday.
No. 2 TCU 79, No. 10 Virginia 69
With lights flashing up above and coasting around the walls of Golden 1 Center, TCU head coach Mark Campbell looked at Sacramento State’s logo that lay beneath his feet. He said seeing the logo of the school he used to coach brought an unexpected yet symbolic moment, thinking of where he’s come from and where he’s going.
Before becoming the head coach of the Horned Frogs, Campbell called Sac State home while also making history as the program made its first trip to the NCAA Tournament under his wings.
“It’s been really special. I started my coaching career here at Sac State,” Campbell said. “I owe a lot of my success and a huge part of my career to Sac State.”
On Saturday, Campbell had 40 minutes to add to his achievements in Sacramento.
The Virginia Cavaliers stood in between a consecutive Elite Eight appearance for the Horned Frogs and sour memories of the capital.
The Cavaliers danced their way through a play-in game and upset every opponent to reach the Sweet 16.
“A lot of people didn’t think we’d be here,” head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “We knew we would be here, and I know we’ll be back.”
Campbell crashed the Cavaliers’ Cinderella ball, winning 79-69, but the prominent double-digit separation wasn’t there to start the game.
After going up 8-2 to start, the Horned Frogs cooled down while the Cavaliers started to heat up.
Virginia rallied for a 13-2 run, triggering TCU to take a timeout, smiling as they walked towards the bench.
Coming out of the timeout, graduate forward Marta Suarez swung TCU back into the fight with back-to-back threes.
Both teams traded leads in the first half, leaving fans wondering what would come of the third quarter.
Suarez, the leading scorer for the Horned Frogs early on, landed a hook shot to open the second, inching TCU within two, 21-19.
Graduate guard Olivia Miles scored 28 points in the contest, staying patient when facing Virginia’s defense.
“I’m reading the back defender,” Miles said. “So I’m reading the back-line help, and if they stay, I get to go make a player pass to [sophomore center Clara Silva].”
Miles and Suarez combined for 61 of TCU’s 78 points, with Suarez reaching her collegiate career-high 33 points against the Cavaliers.
Suarez soaked in the high of a win but said she’s quick to look ahead to the Elite Eight matchup against South Carolina.
“I’m very grateful, and I’m very blessed. But, at the same time, the next game is a pretty quick turnaround,” Suarez said. “I’m excited we got the win, but I’m ready to get going.”
The clash for a ticket to the Final Four takes place Monday night at 6:00 p.m.
