South Carolina’s women’s team dodged a scare Sunday, holding off a feisty mid-major 78-74 in the NCAA Tournament’s second round to keep their title defense alive. The Gamecocks leaned on their frontcourt—20 points in the paint—and a late free-throw barrage to survive a squad that hit 10 threes and wouldn’t go away. After last year’s crown, this was a wake-up call—are they still the queens?
Picture the end—down two late, South Carolina’s bigs crash the glass, draw a foul, and sink four straight from the line to ice it. They shot 48% and dominated inside, but their D let the underdog hang around, hitting from deep and turning 12 turnovers into points. This wasn’t the blowout you’d expect from a 1-seed—they led by 15 early, but the fightback made it a sweat. The Gamecocks’ depth pulled them through, but it was closer than comfy.
Dawn Staley’s got a juggernaut—last year’s champs don’t flinch—but this showed cracks: perimeter D lagged, and the mid-major’s guards ran free. Fans online are buzzing—some see rust, others resilience—and with this escape, South Carolina’s still the team to beat. The Sweet 16’s next, and they’ve got work to do to look dominant again.
Can they tighten up? The talent’s unreal—size, skill, swagger—but Sunday was a reminder: March doesn’t care about seeds. The upset bid failed, but the Gamecocks got a scare. If they lock in, the title’s theirs to lose—stumble again, and someone’s waiting.
