BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- South Carolina needed yet another comeback to keep its hopes of a repeat alive, rallying in the fourth quarter and holding on late to beat Duke 54-50 Sunday and advance to its fifth straight Final Four.
The reigning national champions have certainly not made it look easy, nor have they made life easy on themselves. South Carolina trailed by as many as six points in the third quarter. Even after coming back to take the lead in the fourth, the Gamecocks had to make plays to hold on.
South Carolina led 52-50 with 29.8 seconds left on the clock and on an inbound pass, Bree Hall committed an offensive foul, sending Ashlon Jackson to the floor. With a chance to make the go-ahead basket, Jackson missed badly on her 3-point attempt with Hall in her face.
Duke then intentionally fouled Chloe Kitts, who nailed both free throws for the winning margin. Kitts led South Carolina with 14 points, and her performance throughout the NCAA tournament has reached another level.
After needing rallies to beat Indiana and Maryland in earlier NCAA tournament rounds, the same scenario played itself out against the defensive-minded Blue Devils.
In those two earlier games, South Carolina looked sluggish to start the game. Against Duke, South Carolina vowed to set the tone early, and the Gamecocks did just that -- sprinting out to a quick lead with better shot selection, pacing and a defensive effort that had Duke on its heels.
But soon, the Blue Devils adjusted and turned the game into exactly what they wanted -- a defensive struggle where points were at a premium.
Over the final 6:16 of the second quarter, South Carolina scored one point, on a made free throw, as Duke chipped away at the lead. Its defensive effort intensified in the third quarter, stymying the Gamecocks at nearly every turn. With its offense finding a groove behind freshman Toby Fournier and clutch 3-point shots, Duke soon built a six-point lead.
But it was hard to keep South Carolina down for long. The Gamecocks opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to retake the lead on Te-Hina Paopao's jumper, sending the South Carolina-leaning crowd into a frenzy.
After Kitts made her decisive free throws, the crowd, sensing another Final Four appearance was near stood on its feet and cheered. Paopao and Hall were the first to reach halfcourt and celebrate and were soon joined by their teammates, who have made it no secret they want to be the first team in school history to repeat as national champions.
That dream is still alive after yet another display of resiliency in their comeback.
