March Madness 2022: South Carolina beats Miami despite bad shooting

South Carolina basketball coach Daybreak Staley stated so long as her protection can preserve taking part in this good, her staff’s dangerous capturing can repair itself, later within the NCAA Match.

The highest-seeded Gamecocks (31-2) held a second opponent with out a subject purpose within the second quarter to beat Miami 49-33 on Sunday within the second spherical of the event.

It was ugly capturing throughout. South Carolina shot simply 30% and the Hurricanes (21-13) shot simply 24% for the sport.

However Staley, making her eighth Candy 16 look in a row, stated that protection is a pleasant safety blanket for a staff that has shot 37% or worse 4 of its previous 5 video games. The 54 factors allowed within the first two rounds of the ladies’s NCAAs is 17 fewer than another staff has allowed in its first two video games.

“There’s a nastiness to us on that aspect of the basketball. It wins basketball video games for us,” Staley stated.

Aliyah Boston scored 10 factors and 16 rebounds. Her twenty sixth double-double in a row appeared doubtful till she was fouled with 1:19 left as Miami tried to increase the sport. The All-American hit each free throws. Boston was simply 4-of-15 from the sector, lacking each her 3-pointers and made simply two of six free throws.

“I feel I used to be simply transferring a bit of too quick,” Boston stated.

Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi of Miami led all scorers with 15 factors. The 6-foot-4 ahead solely shot 3-pointers, going 5-of-11. The remainder of the staff mixed for simply six extra subject objectives.

Hurricanes coach Katie Meier stated the one approach she noticed to beat South Carolina was to decelerate Boston, present as a lot toughness and battle because the Gamecocks and shoot nicely over the zone. The capturing wasn’t there. It was their worst efficiency of the season.

“We had been attempting to match them punch for punch. Clearly we did not,” Meier stated. “Should you did not perceive the grit and the character of our staff, I feel we proved that at this time.”

So long as South Carolina retains taking part in superb protection and retains hitting the boards — they’d 19 offensive rebounds to only six for Miami— Staley is satisfied the opposite issues will work themselves out.

“I feel you simply need to proceed to play good basketball – simply take good pictures. Basketball has a approach of simply repaying you for doing it the correct approach and being disciplined,” she stated.

A LITTLE HELP

With Boston struggling, Staley turned to sophomore switch Kamilla Cardoso, who led the staff with 11 factors and 4 blocks and performed 22 minutes — her most since Jan. 2.

A pair of three-point performs by Cardoso, about halfway by the fourth quarter lastly obtained the sport in hand after Miami minimize its deficit to 33-23.

“It was very comforting to know everyone stepped up,” Boston stated.

Cardoso was the Atlantic Coast Convention Freshman of the 12 months final season at Syracuse.

“It is an ACC opponent. She used to play within the ACC. Possibly there’s something there we did not learn about,” Staley stated.

HURRICANE FRUSTRATION

Miami obtained pissed off throughout a second quarter which noticed the Hurricanes miss all 9 pictures with their solely factors coming from three free throws.

There have been yelling and arguments with one another and Meier stated she needed to go “mama bear” and step in to remind them they nonetheless had been within the sport even when no pictures had been falling.

“I feel we’re a a lot better staff after I’m the one yelling at them.” Meier stated.

BIG PICTURE

Miami: Meier has not made a Candy 16 in 9 NCAA Match appearances and the 24% capturing evening was their worst of the season.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks protection is historic within the first two rounds of the NCAA Match. South Carolina set NCAA Match data in Friday’s 79-21 win over Howard with simply 21 factors allowed within the sport and 4 within the first half. Miami scored simply three factors within the second quarter and 10 factors within the first half Sunday — the fourth lowest whole in a half in event historical past.

UP NEXT

South Carolina performs the winner of North Carolina and Arizona in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Friday.