Top 5 takeaways from Texas vs South Carolina as Dawn Staley's squad eyes back-to-back national championships
It's official — South Carolina is heading back to the national title game. Dawn Staley's squad defeated conference foes the Texas Longhorns 74-57 in Friday's Final Four matchup.
The Gamecocks will now advance to the NCAA Tournament championship game, where they will face the winner of No. 1-seeded UCLA and No. 2 UConn. South Carolina will be seeking a second consecutive national title.
Here are some key takeaways from the win over Texas that Staley's team can focus on as it looks to two-peat.
Top 5 takeaways from Texas vs South Carolina
#1. South Carolina needs to get off to a hotter start
It seems hard to criticize South Carolina after the squad defeated Texas by 17 points. However, it must be noted that they made another slow start that has plagued the Gamecocks some this postseason.
Staley's squad breezed by No. 16 Tennessee Tech in the First Round but started off slow against No. 9 seeded Indiana, getting outscored 12-9 in the first quarter. The Gamecocks entered halftime at a one-point deficit but rallied in the second half to win 64-53.
The same issue was faced by South Carolina in the Sweet 16. Although the top-seeded team outscored No. 4 seeded Maryland by one point in the first quarter, South Carolina entered halftime down by two points. Once again, Staley's squad rallied to pull out the win, but defeated the Terrapins by a margin of just four points.
In the Final Four win over Texas, the Gamecocks got into an early 12-4 hole and were outscored by one point in the first quarter. South Carolina went into halftime up by just three. Staley's team won by 17 points, but if the national championship game is a close contest, getting out to a slow start could be the team's downfall.
#2. Joyce Edwards came up clutch
Freshman phenom Joyce Edwards arguably had her best tournament performance against Texas. She had a double-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Her rebound and assist totals led South Carolina.
Edwards has been a consistent playmaker off the bench for the Gamecocks this season. She has made just one start but has appeared in every game, averaging 21.2 points per game. The freshman is a solid two-way guard, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. Staley and her squad should lean on Edwards in the title game.
#3. MiLaysia Fulwiley didn't have any turnovers
Fulwiley is an essential depth piece for South Carolina, but Staley has expressed concern with the sophomore's turnovers. She's averaging 1.9 turnovers per game this season and turned the ball over four times in the Elite Eight matchup against Duke.
The young guard didn't turn the ball over at all against the Longhorns, though, her first game without a turnover since February. Fulwiley is a strong player who contributes significantly on both sides of the ball. If she can continue to minimize turnovers in the national title game, it would be huge for South Carolina.
#4. A regular season loss against an opponent doesn't keep the Gamecocks down
South Carolina went 1-1 against Texas during the regular season, defeating the Longhorns at home but falling in the road matchup.
Staley's squad proved it is capable of defeating a team it had fallen to that season by dominating Texas in the SEC Tournament championship. The Gamecocks defeated the Longhorns 64-45 in the conference championship and beat them by double-digits again in the Final Four.
Staley will need to look into how her team successfully moved forward from a loss. The two other teams that South Carolina fell to this regular season are UCLA and UConn, the two possible opponents for the Gamecocks in the title game.
As South Carolina looks to two-peat, the squad will have to focus on how to avoid mistakes against tough opponents whom the Gamecocks have lost to before.
#5. Don't celebrate too hard!
Bree Hall scared Staley and Gamecocks fans alike with a celebration gone wrong. The senior guard made a 3-pointer against Texas and tripped while celebrating. Staley opened her mouth in shock and began walking toward her player, but thankfully, Hall was just fine. She rolled over and laughed before getting to her feet, and her coach joined in on her laughter.
Hall is an essential playmaker for the Gamecocks. She has appeared in every game this season and is thriving in the postseason, averaging 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in March Madness while shooting an impressive 56% from the field.
Losing the guard to an injury would be devastating for South Carolina. A postseason run is fun, but don't celebrate too hard Gamecocks!