The South Carolina women's basketball team defeated the Texas Longhorns 74-57 on Friday night to advance to the National Championship. The Gamecocks dominated in the second half after only leading 38-35 at the break en route to the win.
South Carolina looked like the better team on the court for the better part of three quarters, but the first quarter of the game saw sluggish play from head coach Dawn Staley's starting five. Early minutes from the bench group proved divisive to give South Carolina the momentum it needed.
"I'm just super proud of our bench because they came at the right time, in the right moment, to step up big, and that's what they did," senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said.
In South Carolina's first offensive possession to open up the game, junior forward Chloe Kitts threw an errant pass, resulting in a pull-up jump shot from Texas sophomore forward Madison Booker. On the following possession, senior forward Sania Feagin barreled to the rim looking for a layup, but rammed into Texas senior guard Rori Harmon, drawing an offensive foul the other way.
The defense gave Texas pressure early - South Carolina got its first points after Paopao jumped the passing lane for a fast break layup, while senior guard Raven Johnson picked Harmon's pocket a possession later - but offensively, South Carolina failed to capitalize.
The struggles mounted at the 6:39 mark of the first quarter down 8-2, when Paopao jumped for the rebound after a missed shot from Harmon. When pulling the rebound down, Paopao mistakenly stepped on the baseline while attempting to push the ball up the court. The early frustrations were apparent for Staley's crew after three quick turnovers and 1-6 (17%) shooting to start the night.
Staley went to her bench for answers while being down 12-4, bringing in freshman forward Joyce Edwards, junior forward Maryam Dauda and sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley. Sophomore guard Tessa Johnson checked in shortly after, as Raven Johnson continued to run with the bench group.
The bench went right to work, Dauda crashing the offensive glass to get fouled and put a free throw in. On the next possession, Edwards picked up a steal and got herself to the free-throw line, knocking them both down. On the next defensive stand, Raven Johnson forcefully blocked Harmon on the baseline, energizing the South Carolina crowd for the first time.
The Gamecocks got in transition on the next possession, resulting in Tessa Johnson knocking down two more free throws. On the next two possessions, Fulwiley got involved for South Carolina, driving to the cup for a layup followed by a step-back three-pointer. Both teams would go back-and-forth before Texas entered the second quarter leading 19-18, but the bench did its job — to weather the storm.
"We've been in those situations before, slow starts," Edwards said. "We knew how to bounce back. We're a resilient team."
South Carolina took control from the second quarter on, and the bench provided some noteworthy performances, beginning with Edwards. With 6 of her 13 points coming in that crucial first quarter, Edwards also finished with 11 rebounds and six assists. Fulwiley was impressed, but not surprised with the impact of the freshman forward.
"The way she played today showed that she is one of the best freshman in the country," Fulwiley said. "She was very versatile today, she was playing point guard."
Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson gave South Carolina some of that extra juice off the bench. Fulwiley poured in 7 points and three assists, while Johnson scored 9 points in addition to being one of the primary defenders on Booker, who was limited all game.
"We didn't start up really good to begin, like as soon as the game started," Fulwiley said. "That's why you have players like me that come in the game and just change the whole flow of the game."
Staley acknowledged the bench play from Edwards, Fulwiley and Johnson and how critical it was to the win. Staley said she's grateful for the depth of her team, because many of them could be starters on a different program.
"I mean, it's what we've counted on them all season long, ever since last year," Staley said. "Our depth has been a part of the success of our program."
The contributions of the bench was the bounce back the Gamecocks were looking for after scoring just 9 total bench points against Duke in the Elite Eight. After leading the entire country in bench points per game with 40.5, the flow and confidence of the second group off the bench proved to be a difference in creating a margin.
"Everyone who entered the court today, they did a great job and they helped us in any way possible," Fulwiley said. "We have people who can stand up and play to the standard."
What's next?
The Gamecocks and its star-studded bench will take the floor Sunday afternoon against the UConn Huskies in the National Championship at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC.