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South Carolina beats Duke, advances to 2025 Final Four
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South Carolina is still breathing, and so are its chances to repeat as women’s national champions.
The top-seeded Gamecocks trailed 2-seed Duke by 4 going into the 4th quarter of Sunday’s regional final in Birmingham, Ala. But Dawn Staley’s team locked in on defense in that 4th quarter, allowing just 8 points to escape with a 54-50 victory and earn its 5th straight trip to the Final Four.
Chloe Kitts scored 14 points to lead South Carolina’s balanced attack, and Sania Feagin added 12 points for the Gamecocks, who are now 2 victories away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since UConn won 4 titles in a row from 2013-16. South Carolina will play the winner of the Texas-TCU regional final, which will take place on Monday night.
But no matter who survives that Lone Star State battle, they will have South Carolina waiting for them in the Final Four on Friday night in Tampa, Fla. South Carolina will be trying for its 4th national title overall and 3rd championship in 4 years.
Duke was trying to get to its first Final Four since 2006, when the Blue Devils lost to Maryland in overtime in the title game. The Duke women were also trying to join the Duke men’s team in the Final Four. The Duke men’s team advanced to the Final Four on Saturday night.
South Carolina (34-3) was held in check for most of the game by Duke’s stingy defense. The Gamecocks came in averaging 80.5 points per game, but points were difficult to come by Sunday, and 54 was barely good enough to get South Carolina to its 7th Final Four, all coming since 2015.
Duke (29-8) was led by Toby Fournier, who scored 18 points off the bench. The Blue Devils shot just 31.7% and faded in that fateful fourth quarter.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
