SACRAMENTO, Calif. — No. 1 South Carolina is on its way to a sixth consecutive Elite Eight after beating No. 4 Oklahoma 94-68 on Saturday.
The Gamecocks have dominated their three opponents so far — outscoring them by a combined 139 points through the Sweet 16. But they are sure they can unlock another level.
“We have a lot of room to grow. And I think we’re growing at the right time,” senior guard Raven Johnson said. “Everybody’s clicking. I feel like the ceiling is high for us.”
South Carolina has opened this tournament by scoring at least 90 points in all three of its games (including two 100-point games in the rounds of 64 and 32). It’s the first time it has been done in program history.
But the Gamecocks are still chasing something more. Coach Dawn Staley said she wants to see her team score more in the paint. In past years, South Carolina has had dominant posts to alleviate some of the pressures the guards face, especially in the half court.
Madina Okot has been a strong big for South Carolina, helping defend Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers on Saturday and limiting her to 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. But much of what makes South Carolina go comes from the guard play.
“If we let the offense run a little bit more, they could probably get easier looks where there’s maybe not two and three sets of hands digging at the ball,” Staley said.
One area the Gamecocks have already improved on from their round of 32 matchup against USC to Saturday’s game against OU was their 3-point shooting. Against the Trojans, South Carolina went just 4-of-15 beyond the arc. They shot 10-of-14 in the Sweet 16.
“I think we’re being patient in our offense,” Johnson said. “I think everyone is sharing the ball. We’re making the right reads. Like, first option, you’re always going to have that shot on the fifth, sixth option. I think coach has been emphasizing that in practice.”
Johnson finished the game with 18 points, the most in an NCAA tournament game in her career. Ta’Niya Latson scored a game-high 28 points.
Latson’s performance was a stark improvement from South Carolina’s loss to Oklahoma in overtime during the regular season. In that game, she scored just six points.
“I was just telling her how proud I am of what she did today,” Johnson said about her teammate. “I feel like I did that. I’m so happy. When I see the ball go in for her, I’m like, ‘yes.’ My eyes get big.”
Together, Johnson and Latson scored or assisted on 63 of South Carolina’s points. But the duo — who played together in high school — insist this wasn’t the best game they have played together. It was in 2019 during the GEICO Championship.
“She had like 25, I had like 26. It was like a monster game for both of us,” Latson said. “The defense, we was turning everybody over.”
“I hope that continues on Monday,” Staley muttered under her breath.
On Monday, the Gamecocks will either face TCU or Virginia for a shot to get back to the Final Four. And with the belief that their best basketball is still ahead of them, they hope to peak at the right time.
“We cherish the moments that we have on the floor, and we hope to win a championship together,” Latson said.
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