See you in Cleveland: No. 1 South Carolina WBB beats Oregon State in NCAA Elite Eight
Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks (35-0) are the No. 1 overall seed for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. They continue their journey into March Madness at 1 p.m. Sunday (ABC) with an Elite Eight game against No. 3 Oregon State.
The State’s Payton Titus and Chapel Fowler are on site from MVP Arena in Albany, New York to provide updates from the game. Follow along as USC tries to reach a fourth consecutive Final Four.
Final: South Carolina 70, Oregon State 58
The Gamecocks are off to their fourth consecutive Final Four after outlasting the Beavers in Albany. For the second game in a row, USC saw a double-digit second half lead get within a few possessions late. Freshman Tessa Johnson had a huge and-one out of a timeout to take USC from up 62-58 to up 65-58 with about three minutes to go.
South Carolina will play either No. 1 Texas or No. 3 NC State (who tipped off their game in Portland, Oregon, around 3 p.m.) in the Final Four in Cleveland next Friday (April 5). Two more wins to go.
Beavers hanging around
Oregon State has hit its last five shots in a row and it’s a four-point game. USC coach Dawn Staley takes a timeout out 62-58 with 3:37 to go in the Elite Eight. Second game in a row South Carolina has led by double digits entering the fourth quarter and seen that lead almost evaporate.
The Beavers still haven’t led since the opening 40 seconds. But they’ve outscored USC 12-4 so far in the fourth quarter, and South Carolina has gone cold from three (4-19, 21%).
End Q3: South Carolina 58, Oregon State 46
If you’re going to win a championship, that’s what you do. After Oregon State made this a two-point game (43-41), the Gamecocks scored 12 straight points for some much-needed breathing room. After three quarters, they lead by 12 points and are 10 minutes away from the Final Four.
Neither team is particularly flashing offensively; this is a tough, physical game with some foul calls both coaching staffs are upset about. USC center Kamilla Cardoso has been efficient (12 points, 6-8 shooting, five rebounds) but three fouls have limited her. Sania Feagin also has four fouls for USC.
South Carolina ended up outscoring Oregon State 22-13 that period. Cardoso remains the only Gamecock in double figures, but five others have at least seven points.
Halftime: South Carolina 37, Oregon State 33
It’s a close one here as the Gamecocks end the half making just one of their last nine shots. After an even second quarter (19 points for both teams), USC enters the break up four points. South Carolina led by as many as nine points (31-22) with 4:23 left in that quarter.
Even with its top two scorers, Raegan Beers and Timea Gardiner, in foul trouble with three apiece, the Beavers aren’t backing down. They’re 6-14 on 3-pointers (a huge boost) and have 10 assists on 11 made shots.
Nobody is in double digits for South Carolina, but forward Ashlyn Watkins (six points, six rebounds) has provided a burst off the bench. USC needs more from starting guards Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson (three combined points on 1-8 shooting and 1-5 3-point shooting).
End Q1: South Carolina 18, Oregon State 14
South Carolina led by eight points (16-8) with 2:21 to go, but Oregon State made a late push to close the gap. Beavers guard Lily Hansford made two late 3-pointers off the bench and must be guarded better.
USC is playing really well defensively and has a number of impressive blocks and steals. But the Gamecocks are just 7 of 22 (32%) from the floor. They’ve made a deliberate effort to get center Kamilla Cardoso some post touches against Oregon State center Raegan Beers.
Six for Staley?
South Carolina had never made a Final Four when Staley was hired in 2008. But the Gamecocks can qualify for their sixth Final Four here on Sunday — all under Staley and all since 2015.
USC has reached the national semifinals in 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023 with national championships twice in those five trips in 2017 and 2022.
The Gamecocks are also in their eighth NCAA Regional Final (Elite Eight) and have a 5-1 record in those games in Staley’s tenure. In other words, when they get to this point, they usually take care of business.
Point spread
The NCAA Tournament seed of USC’s opponent keeps getting higher. But Las Vegas’ faith in the Gamecocks hasn’t wavered.
South Carolina is a 15.5-point favorite against Oregon State, according to ESPN BET. That’s just slightly under USC’s point spread against No. 4 Indiana in the Sweet 16 (17.5 points). The Gamecocks won but failed to cover, beating the Hoosiers by four points after leading by as many as 22.
South Carolina WBB vs. Oregon State game info
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (35-0) vs. No. 3 Oregon State (27-7)
Where: MVP Arena in Albany, New York
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
TV: ABC (Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, Holly Rowe)
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area (see full list of affiliates here)
Betting line: South Carolina by 15.5 points (ESPN BET)
Next up: The winner of South Carolina-Oregon State advances to the Final Four in Cleveland as the winner of the Albany 1 Regional and will play its first game April 5 against either No.1 Texas or No. 3 NC State
