“It’s really exciting,” Boston said. “It’s one of our goals we set at the beginning of the year and now it’s here.”
The Gamecocks (29–1) won their 17th straight in eight seasons to reach their seventh tournament championship game. 18 Tennessee or seventh-seeded Kentucky on Sunday, which is South Carolina’s quest for a seventh title in eight seasons.
Story continues below ad
South Carolina improved 7-2 in the semi-finals, using its size and length to suppress Ole Miss for the third time this season in a performance between the SEC’s top two scoring strongholds. The Gamecocks lead the SEC, allowing 51.2 points, and they held the Rebels to 30 points through three quarters.
Ole Miss (23–8) tried to rally, scoring 20 of the first 25 in the fourth to get within 58–50 with Shakira Austin’s three-point game 1:40. South Carolina had the Rebels last bucket to secure their latest berth in the title game, despite missing all five shots in the quarter.
“We just lost momentum,” said South Carolina coach Don Staley. “When you’re playing a caliber game like we’re playing, it’s tough. Once you get that swing it’s hard to get back the swing of the pace. ,
Story continues below ad
Boston, a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, also had three blocks and three steals.
It was the first time in the semi-finals since 1993 for Ole Miss (23–8), who last played in the 1983 tournament championship. Coach Yollette McPhee-McQueen had a simple reminder for her antics to help them go late.
“Nobody thought we’d beat South Carolina anyway, but we needed to perform,” McPhee-McQueen said of his message. “We need to look like an NCAA Tournament team, so we can’t leave.”
Angel Baker led the reels with 20 points. Austin finished in fourth with 11 of his 16.
It was a rematch of the regular season finale that South Carolina won at Oxford last weekend. The Rebels scored the first four points of the game, and Madison Scott blocked a shot by South Carolina guard Zea Cook for a strong start by Ole Miss.
Story continues below ad
Victoria Saxton made a steal and ended with a slow breakaway with a lap that tied it on 4. Boston scored the next four, and South Carolina led 14-8 after the first quarter. Baker scored 10 in the second to keep Ole Miss close, though Gamecock led 33–22 at halftime.
South Carolina steered the Rebels 20-8 to 53-30 in fourth place, where Ole Miss made it very interesting until the final 90 seconds.
Gamecock outclassed Ole Miss 44-28, only the second time in the last six games they didn’t have a lead of 20 or more on the board. Both came up against the rebels. Inside dominance helped South Carolina take a 19-4 lead in second-chance points.
Story continues below ad
Austin is Ole Miss’s tallest player at 6-foot-5 and Rebel is taller at 6-2. Compare this to South Carolina with four gamecocks 6-3 or taller with Boston leading 6-7 Kamilla Cardoso coming off the bench. Gamecock troubled Austin in a 2-of-9 shooting in the first half.
Ole Miss Center scored 27 in Ole Miss’s win over No. 23 Florida in the quarterfinals. He scored 6 out of 17 in this game.
“We wanted to make it difficult for him all night, make sure he feels us every time he touches the ball,” Boston said.
“It’s just people who haven’t been here before they don’t understand how hard it is because … it’s like having kids to believe. They’re born into money,” Staley said of his little gamecock. said in.
Ole Miss now has to wait to learn its seed in the NCAA Tournament.
More AP Women’s College Basketball: More
Source
