PHOENIX — Not everyone gets a shot at redemption. Another chance to slay the giant.
And how sweet it was for South Carolina to blemish what was almost a perfect season for top-seeded UConn.
South Carolina, a gritty, hard-nosed squad led by sophomore Joyce Edwards and senior Raven Johnson, vindicated itself Friday night from last year’s national championship meltdown, defeating the Huskies 62-48 to advance to the national championship game.
It was a rock fight. Shots weren’t falling for most of the night for either team. Defense dictated the outcome. Bodies flopped around like it was a WWE match.
South Carolina overwhelmed the Huskies, who hadn’t faced that level of physicality all season.
Geno Auriemma lost it during an interview with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe before the fourth quarter.
He ripped the refs. He swore on national television. He dragged Dawn Staley.
“There were six fouls called in that quarter, all of them against us,” Auriemma said. “And they been beating the s–t out of our guys down there the entire game. I’m not making excuses cause we haven’t been able to make shot. But this is ridiculous. Their coach rants and raves on the sidelines and calls the referees some names you don’t want to hear.”
Auriemma’s fighting words, though, couldn’t change what was happening. South Carolina had the momentum, confidence, grit.
In the end, South Carolina held on.
It wasn’t a pretty game. Shots weren’t falling. The pesky Huskies forced South Carolina into more turnovers than Dawn Staley would’ve preferred and the Gamecocks trailed by two at halftime.
Something changed at halftime. South Carolina came out of the locker room, outscoring the Huskies 12-2 to take a 36-28 lead 4:35 into the second half. The Gamecocks were feeling good, their fan section across from their bench rose to their feet. The Huskies looked frazzled and out of sorts.
But the thing about behemoths like UConn is they’re never really ever out of a game. Even when trailing by double figures, it feels like a rally is only a coin flip away.
It started with Kayleigh Heckel’s corner. Then freshman standout Blanca Quinonez drained a top-of-the-key 3. Azzi Fudd joined in the splash party, sinking her first 3 of the night after her first four attempts were off the mark.
Suddenly, it was a one-point game with 1:10 left in the third.
South Carolina has seen this movie before and didn’t like the ending.
So the Gamecocks dug deep and locked in. They took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter and never allowed UConn fully back in.
Quinonez’ free throws got the Huskies within two points with 6:37 left. But that would be the closest they would get.
With a little less than two minutes left, and Ta’Niya Latson at the free throw line, South Carolina could feel it. A win and another shot at a national championship was at their fingertips.
UConn crumbled in its last-ditch attempt at salvaging their season and South Carolina’s fans rose to their feet.
Not everyone gets another shot at slaying the giant. South Carolina did and succeeded.
And Staley got the last laugh.
