South Carolina's not been at its best on offense in the NCAA tournament. But it's been more than good enough to advance to the Sweet 16.
The top-seeded Gamecocks overcome a sluggish start on Sunday to secure a 76-45 win over No. 8 South Florida and secure its place in the NCAA tournament's second weekend.
South Florida put South Carolina to the test early, opening up a 16-12 lead while holding the Gamecocks to 35.7% shooting from the field. But the Gamecocks rode a 21-point second quarter to a 33-29 halftime edge. Then they took over.
A team that's made a season of dominating second halves stifled the Bulls after halftime and leaned on its depth on offense to run away with the game. With 2:10 remaining in the fourth quarter and South Carolina leading 69-40, head coach Dawn Staley emptied the bench to allow the South Carolina home crowd to give a standing ovation to its outgoing seniors in their final home game.
Aliyah Boston controlled the post while tallying 11 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Fellow senior Zia Cooke paced the offense with 21 points while shooting 8 of 19 from the field. The Gamecocks improved to 34-0 as they seek to secure a second straight national championship.
