No. 1 South Carolina Surges Past NC State, Earns Spot in the Finals

2024 Final Four: NC State Wolfpack vs. South Carolina Gamecocks

2024 Final Four: NC State Wolfpack vs. South Carolina Gamecocks | Image: ESPN/YouTube

Kamilla Cardoso put up 22 points on an impressive 10-of-12 shooting spree and pulled down 11 rebounds, propelling top-seeded South Carolina to a resounding 78-59 victory over No. 3 North Carolina State on Friday night.

Ashlyn Watkins notched a career-high 20 rebounds for the Gamecocks (37-0), who have boasted a stellar 73-1 record over the past two seasons. Raven Johnson contributed 13 points, while Te-Hina Paopao chipped in with 10 points and six assists for South Carolina.

In the pivotal third quarter, the Gamecocks outscored North Carolina State 29-6, securing their spot in the national championship game for the third time in the last seven NCAA Tournaments. South Carolina clinched the national title in 2017 and 2022.

South Carolina will clash with either top-seeded Iowa or No. 3 UConn in Sunday’s title match.

Aziaha James delivered 20 points for North Carolina State (31-7), who reached the Final Four for only the second time. River Baldwin contributed 12 points and nine rebounds, with Zoe Brooks tallying 10 points for the Wolfpack, who struggled with a shooting percentage of just 32% from the field and 6 of 23 (26.1%) from beyond the arc.

The Gamecocks dominated the boards with a 46-32 rebounding advantage and shot an impressive 50% from the field, including 8 of 19 (42.1%) from 3-point territory.

At halftime, South Carolina held a narrow 32-31 lead before launching a relentless offensive assault in the third quarter.

Paopao and Johnson drained 3-pointers within the opening two minutes of the quarter, propelling the Gamecocks to a 10-point lead at 42-32.

Despite Baldwin’s two successful free throws, bringing the Wolfpack within 44-36 with 7:08 left, South Carolina closed out the quarter with a dominant 17-1 run. With Paopao and Bree Hall sinking treys in the final minute, the Gamecocks extended their lead to 61-37.

In the third quarter, South Carolina shot 12 of 20, including 5 of 9 from long range, while NC State managed just 1 of 11 field goals and missed all four of their 3-point attempts.

The final quarter was a mere formality as Cardoso, with her 16 first-half points, opted to sit out the entire 10 minutes.

Cardoso unleashed 12 of her 16 first-half points in the second quarter, yet NC State put up a tough fight.

Trailing 16-13 late in the first quarter, the Wolfpack received a boost when MiLaysia Fulwiley nailed a game-tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining.

Cardoso then took charge, scoring all of South Carolina’s initial 12 points in the second quarter. The Gamecocks enjoyed a six-point lead before NC State rallied back to tie the game at 30 with a 3-pointer from Mimi Collins just over a minute before halftime.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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