SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ta’Niya Latson amassed 28 points, and Raven Johnson chipped in 18, propelling top-seeded South Carolina to a 94-68 triumph over fourth-seeded Oklahoma on Saturday. This victory secured their progression to the Elite Eight of the women’s March Madness championship.
South Carolina is now slated to contend against the victor of the TCU-Virginia matchup this coming Monday evening, vying for an opportunity to advance to the Final Four in Phoenix from the Sacramento 4 Regional.
The Gamecocks have progressed to the national semifinals in six out of the last eight Final Four competitions, securing three national titles within that timeframe. Oklahoma, conversely, had been seeking its initial journey to this regional stage since the 2009-2010 season, which marked the Sooners’ most recent appearance in the Final Four.
The Gamecocks (34-3) commenced with a powerful opening, led by Latson, who was participating in her inaugural Sweet 16 contest. Prior to joining South Carolina this season, the senior guard spent the initial three years of her collegiate career at Florida State. She tallied eight of the squad’s first 10 points, helping the Gamecocks establish a 10-0 advantage.
Johnson contributed nine points, which saw the Gamecocks lead 23-13 following the initial quarter.
Oklahoma (26-8) committed turnovers on three of its initial four possessions during the second quarter, and South Carolina capitalized on these errors. With 46 seconds remaining in the half, Latson’s four-point play extended the lead to 47-28. The Sooners managed a defensive stop on their subsequent possession; however, Sahara Williams failed to convert a wide-open layup as the buzzer sounded.
Latson concluded the first half with 18 points, and Johnson accumulated 16. Joyce Edwards, a second-team AP All-America selection, did not register any points in the initial 20 minutes. This proved inconsequential, as the Gamecocks’ offense, fueled by Latson and Johnson, was more than sufficient.
South Carolina integrated Edwards more effectively during the latter half, by having her tally the squad’s initial four points of the third quarter, effectively nullifying any opportunity for an Oklahoma resurgence. Edwards concluded the game with eight points and nine rebounds.
Aaliyah Chavez notched 21 points, and Raegan Beers contributed 14 more, spearheading the Sooners’ efforts.
The two teams previously encountered each other this season. On that occasion, Oklahoma inflicted South Carolina’s sole regular-season defeat in the Southeastern Conference, via a 94-82 overtime triumph.
The Associated Press supplied information for this article.