ALBANY, N.Y. — No. 4 seed Indiana women’s basketball entered the MVP Arena on Friday in Albany, New York, with a daunting task ahead: face the 34-0 No. 1 overall seed, the University of South Carolina.
In the end, South Carolina made enough free throws to seal the deal and move on to the Elite Eight with its 79-75 victory.
The Gamecocks wasted no time, winning the tipoff and hitting a 3-pointer just six seconds into the contest. And then another just 32 seconds later that began a 7-0 run. The Hoosiers responded with a 7-0 run of their own, however, to pull within 1.
While it seemed like Indiana could hold its own, South Carolina finished the first quarter on a 16-6 run to grab an 11-point advantage after 10 minutes of action.
The Hoosiers went on another 7-0 run in the early stages of the second frame before the Gamecocks seized complete control over the final 5:02 of the first half. After going on another lengthy run, 15-4, South Carolina led 49-32 as it headed into the halftime locker room.
Gamecocks senior center Kamilla Cardoso led all scorers in the first half with 13 while Indiana sophomore guard Yarden Garzon led the Hoosiers with her eight first-half points.
Although South Carolina seemed destined for a blowout victory, Indiana fought back.
The Hoosiers trailed by 21 points in the middle of the third, and then senior guard Sydney Parrish dominated the next two minutes. She drained back-to-back 3-pointers as she went on her own 8-0 run before sophomore guard Yarden Garzon tacked on a bucket to cap off the 10-0 run.
The Gamecocks responded with a pair of buckets to take a 15-point lead. Indiana had an opportunity to close the quarter on a 7-0 but had to settle for a 5-0 one instead after Holmes missed a pair of free throws with a second left.
Entering the final frame trailing by 10, the Hoosiers cut their deficit to 5 with 7:20 remaining. The squads traded baskets throughout the quarter before Indiana pulled to within one possession twice. And each time the Gamecocks had an immediate response.
The Hoosiers, despite battling back, couldn’t overcome the deficit and finish the year with a loss to the Gamecocks and a 26-6 record on the season.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa), columnist Ryan Canfield (@_ryancanfield) and photographer Olivia Bianco (@theoliviabianco) for updates throughout the Indiana women’s basketball season.
