ALBANY, NY – South Carolina women's basketball withstood a furious comeback attempt to defeat Indiana, 79-75, in the Sweet 16 on Friday at MVP Arena to advance to a fourth consecutive Elite Eight.
The No. 4-seeded Hoosiers (26-6) cut the No. 1-seeded Gamecocks' lead to two points in the final minute of the game, but South Carolina (35-0) turned to guard second year Raven. Johnson to freeze the game.
Johnson hit a 3-pointer and a free throw to put him out of Indiana's reach and finished with 14 points. Senior center Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points to lead the Gamecocks.
South Carolina entered the fourth quarter disjointed and in a bad mood, unable to make a shot to open the period as Indiana cut the deficit to five points at the final media timeout.
After building a lead of as many as 17 points at halftime, South Carolina started the second half hot. A 3-pointer by Johnson made it a 22-point game, but Indiana made six consecutive field goals to cut the deficit to 13.
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The Gamecocks finished the first quarter on a 14-3 run, capping off a strong shooting start in which they made 5 of 7 three-pointers.
Kamilla Cardoso dominates Indiana in the paint
Cardoso took advantage of a size advantage over the Hoosiers.
Cardoso, who at 6-foot-7 had a four-inch lead over Indiana's lineup, proved difficult for the Hoosiers to match. She provided the most consistent scoring option for the Gamecocks and was as efficient as ever, making 10 of 12 field goals.
South Carolina struggles to stop 3-point attack
Indiana, which entered the game as the No. 3 team in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, shot 33 3-pointers in an effort to stave off South Carolina's forwards and spread the floor. The Hoosiers finished 39% from that range on 13-of-33 shooting.
The Gamecocks struggled to stop shots, especially in the second half, where the Hoosiers shot 7 of 16 from beyond the arc to cut into the lead.
South Carolina builds lead in first half with very different quarters
The Gamecocks adopted two completely different game plans in the first and second quarters.
The Gamecocks shot 5 of 7 from 3-point range in the first quarter to build an 11-point gap. When shooting opportunities from deep dried up in the second quarter, they turned inside and scored 18 points in the paint.