BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is aware of the critiques that may arise following her team’s 71-67 victory over Maryland in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
For the second consecutive game, the defending national champions found themselves trailing at halftime, needing to rally for a win after struggling with their shooting and making unusual errors.
While Staley views her team as resilient and steadfast in their pursuit of a repeat championship, she recognizes that others may have a different perspective.
“Is it pretty? No. Will people say this doesn’t resemble a national championship team?” Staley questioned. “Well, we didn’t appear to be one at the start of last season either. We looked like one in ’22, and in 2017, we didn’t look like one then either. I think we’re back to that point where we don’t look like one, but hopefully, we can win it and prove otherwise.”
To secure the win on Friday, South Carolina relied on MiLaysia Fulwiley, one of their standout bench players. Staley noticed a lack of cohesion and energy from the starting lineup in the first half, prompting her to bring in Fulwiley for her shot-creating skills.
Maryland initially led by six points early in the third quarter before the Gamecocks began to close the gap, largely thanks to Fulwiley’s contributions.
Her impressive plays—including a spin move assist to Te-Hina Paopao and a behind-the-back layup—ignited South Carolina in the second half. After her behind-the-back score, Fulwiley recalled hearing Maryland players exclaim, “Come on, come on, she’s not going to score this.”
“I just let my confidence take over, and it went in. I was thrilled to prove my doubters wrong,” she said.
Fulwiley achieved a personal NCAA tournament best with 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, marking the highest total by a South Carolina bench player in an NCAA tournament game since 2000.
“If it’s that kind of game, Lay is the ideal guard to call on for scoring, and she delivered,” Staley remarked about Fulwiley. “Everyone started to flow around her. We haven’t played that way much, so it was a bit different but refreshing to know we can rely on the young player, and she can deliver for us.”
Despite this, South Carolina was down 60-59 when Maryland forward Allie Kubek fouled out with 3:07 remaining, shifting the game’s momentum. Without her inside presence, South Carolina launched a 7-0 run that effectively clinched the game. Fulwiley contributed two driving layups during that stretch and excelled all night, shooting 78% on shots in the paint, according to ESPN Research.
She either scored or assisted on 29 points in just 21 minutes of play.
“Nobody in the country has anyone who can match that kind of speed,” said Maryland coach Brenda Frese. “We tried to contain her with two to three players, but her end-to-end speed was evident. I believe she was undoubtedly the most valuable player in this game. We had no solution for her; that’s how elite she is.”
Frese refrained from criticizing the officiating but noted that her team went to the free-throw line 16 times in the first half but only twice in the second half.
“Something changed,” Frese stated. “I didn’t think our approach to attacking the rim and making plays altered. For some reason, we just couldn’t get to the free-throw line, which is a crucial part of our game.”
Despite the defeat, Frese added, “We demonstrated that we could win this game, and I believe we provided a solid blueprint for teams moving forward on how to beat South Carolina.”
Next up for South Carolina is Duke, one of the top defensive teams remaining in the tournament. The two teams faced off earlier this season, with South Carolina winning 81-70 in December.
“People thought we had the easiest region,” Staley remarked. “It’s not easy at all. It only gets tougher.”
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