South Carolina defeat Oklahoma 94-68 to reach women’s Elite Eight
Top seeds South Carolina stormed into the Elite Eight of the women’s March Madness tournament with a dominant 94-68 victory over Oklahoma in Sacramento.
Ta’Niya Latson scored 28 points as the Gamecocks overpowered their fourth-seeded opponents to set up a regional final clash against either TCU or Virginia.
Raven Johnson added 18 points during a commanding performance that keeps the perennial contenders on track for the Final Four in Phoenix.
The emphatic win also served as revenge for South Carolina, who suffered their only regular-season Southeastern Conference loss to this same Oklahoma outfit earlier this year.
Latson leads early offensive blitz
Playing in her first Sweet 16, former Florida State guard Latson orchestrated a blistering 10-0 start for the tournament favourites.
The senior playmaker accounted for eight of those opening points as her team established an early stranglehold on the contest.
Johnson further compounded the misery for the Sooners, contributing nine points to build a 23-13 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
Oklahoma struggled to find their rhythm in response, turning the ball over on three of their first four possessions in the second period.
Sooners’ comeback hopes extinguished
A sensational four-point play from Latson in the final minute of the half extended the lead to 47-28, effectively putting the game out of reach before the break.
Despite Second-team AP All-American Joyce Edwards being held scoreless in the opening 20 minutes, the Gamecocks possessed more than enough firepower to maintain their dominance.
The top seeds made a concerted effort to involve Edwards after the interval, with the forward scoring the team’s first four points of the third quarter.
She eventually finished with eight points and nine rebounds, ensuring the Sooners had no realistic path back into the match.
Aaliyah Chavez managed a valiant 21 points for the eliminated side, while Raegan Beers contributed 14 in a losing effort.
South Carolina, who boast three national championships in their recent history, are now just one victory away from their seventh Final Four appearance in nine tournaments.