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The defending champion Gamecocks will head to
their third consecutive Final Four. They also reached this point
of the season in 2015 and 2017, winning the title in 2017 -- all
under coach Dawn Staley.
South Carolina (36-0) will take on Iowa (30-6) in a national
semifinal on Friday in Dallas.
The Gamecocks battered Maryland in the lane, racking up a 48-26
rebounding margin that was the foundation for more home-state
success.
Zia Cooke's 18 points and Brea Beal's 16 points helped the South
Carolina offense.
Diamond Miller poured in 24 points for Maryland (28-7), which
owned six wins against Top 10 teams this season. The Terrapins
were bidding for their sixth Final Four berth, their first since
2015.
Abby Meyers had 14 points and Shyanne Sellers finished with 11
points for the Terrapins, whose 50 percent shooting from the
field, including 7-for-14 success from 3-point range, was offset
by South Carolina's rebounding.
The Gamecocks, who have won 42 consecutive games overall, rolled
in their first three games in the tournament by 16 or more
points. This one was a test for longer, but eventually South
Carolina had too much power. Boston shot 10-for-14 from the
field.
Maryland scored six straight points to cut a 48-36 deficit in
half in the third quarter. Raven Johnson drained a 3-pointer
that sparked another surge for the Gamecocks and had the crowd
in a tizzy. Two minutes later, South Carolina was up 60-45.
Earlier, the Terrapins had a run of their own, going on a 12-0
spurt for a 19-13 lead. Going to the second quarter ahead 21-15,
Maryland hit a rut and scored only two points in the next five
minutes.
Buoyed by a 9-0 run, South Carolina led 38-30 at halftime. The
Gamecocks held a 25-13 edge in first-half rebounding, grabbing
14 offensive boards.
South Carolina has won five of seven all-time meetings between
the teams, including an 81-56 victory at Maryland on Nov. 11.
--Field Level Media
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