South Carolina is not a prolific 3-point shooting team.
When it hits at this rate, it’s very difficult to beat. South Carolina caught fire from long distance Saturday and cruised to a 94-68 win over 4 seed Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.
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With the win, the top-seeded Gamecocks advance to an Elite Eight matchup against the winner of Saturday night’s game between No. 3 TCU and No. 10 Virginia. There, the Gamecocks will seek their sixth consecutive trip to the Final Four.
The Gamecocks generally overwhelm their opponents inside the arc and on the boards. On Saturday, they were a force from all over the court.
The Gamecocks started the game on a 10-0 run. By halftime, they were 7 of 11 from 3 and had already exceeded their season average of 6.1 made 3s per game.
For the game, they shot 10 of 14 (71%) from long distance. alongside doing the things that led them to a 33-3 record entering Saturday’s game: controlling the paint, winning the rebounding battle (39-36) and clamping down on defense.
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Easy looks were few and far between for the Sooners. An Oklahoma team that ranked fourth in the nation with 86.5 points per game was held 18.5 points below that average. The Gamecocks limited the Sooners to 39% shooting from the field and 30% from 3.
On offense, South Carolina met little resistance. Three starters scored 14-plus points, led by Ta’Niya Latson’s 28 points and 5 assists. Latson shot 7 of 11 from the field and was perfect from 3 (4 for 4) and at the free-throw line (10 of 10).
Tessa Johnson was also perfect from 3 (2 for 2) while shooting 6 of 8 from the field en route to 14 points and 4 rebounds. Raven Johnson shot 8 of 11 from the field and 2 of 3 from 3 while posting 18 points and 3 assists.
Madina Okot controlled the post while tallying 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks. As a team, South Carolina shot 51% from the floor and assisted on 21 of its 34 made field goals.
It was an all-around effort on both sides of the court that should set the tone for South Carolina as it sets its sights on the Final Four.