NCAAW: Dawn Staley, South Carolina are back in the Final Four

Swish Appeal’s contributing writer, Stephanie Kaloi, and photographer, Christina Merrion, were in Birmingham to chronicle and capture Sunday’s Elite Eight showdown between South Carolina and Duke. Here’s what they saw, with words from Stephanie and photos from Christina.

There was never a doubt that Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup between No. 1-seed South Carolina and No. 2-seed Duke Blue Devils was going to be tough—and both teams more than delivered. The Gamecocks eventually prevailed after a 40-minute fight, 54-50.

To start the game, Duke’s Toby Fournier was responsible for most of her team’s success, though her efforts were matched by Sania Feagin, Chloe Kitts, and MiLaysia Fulwiley on the South Carolina side. Raven Johnson deftly stepped in when needed at the top of the second when she hit a 3-pointer as Kitts and Feagin also kept things moving in the Gamecocks’ direction with a combined 12 points. South Carolina led things 26-22 at the half.

As they are wont to do, Duke came out of halftime on fire, ending the third period with a 42-38 lead. Ashlon Jackson and Reigan Richardson proved especially impactful for the Blue Devils, netting a combined 15 points.

The fourth quarter battle was heated from the beginning. Both teams were playing hard and fast, with bucket after bucket matched. If any group made their presence known, it was South Carolina’s fans, or FAMS, who spent most of the quarter screaming themselves hoarse in an attempt to inspire the Gamecocks. After a layup from Te-Hina Paopao pushed South Carolina ahead, a quick shot from Kitts at the six-minute mark pulled the team up 46-42.

But the Blue Devils were unwilling to go easily. Fournier tied the game up 46-46 with just under five minutes left, prompting a timeout. Sania Feagin broke the standoff, hitting a shot to bring the score to 48-46. Soon thereafter, a swath of South Carolina fans and Duke fans rose to their feet, the game at 52-50 in South Carolina’s favor with under a minute to go.

Johnson made the most of the time. She passed to Feagin, who missed a layup. The ball went out of bounds, earning the Gamecocks another chance—just when the moment (and the game clock) went under review. The clock was reset to 29.8 and Duke was immediately rewarded with a charge call against the Gamecocks, although most of the crowd was not pleased.

Duke took possession with a chance to take the lead. Jackson attempted and missed a 3-pointer that was caught by Bree Hall with 6.4 seconds on the clock—a moment that all but sealed the Blue Devils’ fate. With the clock reset to 7.2 seconds, Kitts was immediately fouled as the Gamecocks inbounded the ball. She landed both free throws, bringing the score to 54-50 and prompting a Duke timeout. The Blue Devils turned the ball over on their final possession, sending the Gamecocks back to the Final Four for a fifth-straight season.

It was clear for most of the game that Feagin wasn’t on the court to do anything other than win. Her 12-point and eight-rebound effort was complemented by Kitts, who hit free throw after free throw all afternoon to finish with a team-high 14 points. Papao and Johnson also had standout afternoons for the Gamecocks, hitting every shot they needed to right when it was the most important to do so. The pair, who are both expected to enter the WNBA Draft this year, finished the night with nine and seven points, respectively.

Now, the Gamecocks and head coach Dawn Staley will prepare for the Final Four in Tampa, where they will No. 1-seed Texas or No. 2-seed TCU on Friday, April 4.