South Carolina dumps Texas in Final Four, earns shot at repeat title

Joyce Edwards posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists off the bench, and South Carolina moved within one game of becoming the first repeat Women's NCAA Tournament national champion since 2016 with a 74-57 rout of Texas in a national semifinal on Friday in Tampa.

The Gamecocks (35-3) outscored the Longhorns 20-9 in the third quarter, building on a three-point halftime lead they held thanks to an eruption late in the second quarter. South Carolina scored 11 consecutive points late in the third after producing a key 7-0 run late in the second period.

Edwards buoyed South Carolina through the first 20 minutes with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists. Te-Hina Paopao then ignited in the second quarter with a pair of 3-pointers.

The Gamecocks held Texas to 4-for-14 shooting (28.6 percent) in the third, while shooting 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) on the other end.

Texas (35-4) could not get the deficit back under 10 points after South Carolina pulled ahead, 52-41, on Paopao's steal and breakaway layup with 3:46 to go in the third quarter. The Gamecocks' lead reached 20 points down the stretch.

Paopao led South Carolina with 14 points. Bree Hall added 11 points. Raven Johnson did a little of everything for the Gamecocks, snaring six rebounds, dishing three assists and blocking two shots.

Texas' Jordan Lee led all scorers with 16 points, shooting 3-for-7 from 3-point range. She hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second half, but it was not enough for the Longhorns to keep pace.

Madison Booker scored 11 points for Texas, and Rori Harmon added eight points. Texas was outscored in the paint 40-22 and managed to convert just eight points from 13 South Carolina turnovers.

The win sends South Carolina to the Sunday national championship game against either Duke or UConn. The last repeat Women's NCAA Tournament champion was UConn during a run of four straight from 2013-16.

--Field Level Media