No. 2-seed Duke women's basketball falls 54-50 in fourth-quarter battle to South Carolina in Elite Eight - The Chronicle
Every team has its kryptonite.
Kara Lawson entered Sunday’s matchup 0-3 against South Carolina in the head coach’s tenure, looking to change her team’s fortunes on the biggest stage, an Elite Eight matchup. But despite an admirable effort, Duke wasn’t able to get the job done against the reigning national champions, falling 54-50 in a thrilling matchup.
This postseason, the Blue Devils have made it a habit of avenging regular-season losses, knocking off four of the top teams in the country, all of whom defeated Lawson’s group in the regular season. However, the formidable Gamecocks are a different beast, and to get payback for December’s defeat, Duke needed to play its best game yet.
It seemed like the whole state of South Carolina made the five-hour trek to Birmingham, as Legacy Arena was jam-packed with garnet clad fans supporting their reigning national champions.
After winning the third quarter 20-12, Duke entered the fourth up 42-38. But if the Blue Devils expected the favorites to roll over, they were sorely mistaken. The Gamecocks took advantage of a frazzled group of Blue Devils with an 8-0 run to pull ahead to a 46-42 lead with six minutes left, with each made basket sending the crowd into another level of hysteria.
As South Carolina took a lead, the Duke forwards took fouls. Sophomores Jadyn Donovan and Delaney Thomas found themselves with four with over five minutes left to play, but freshman Toby Fournier shouldered the load herself, draining a tough layup to tie the game.
The game started to run through the paint. Chloe Kitts and Thomas hit the ground together with no foul called, then the former went straight at the Charles Town, W.Va., native to drain a layup and get her team a 52-48 lead with just over 1:30 remaining on the clock.
With a minute left, sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa drained a contested layup to cut the difference to one possession, before a missed Sania Feagin layup resulted in a tumble under the basket and an official review to determine possession.
The crowd exploded when the referees confirmed it was in possession of the Gamecocks, and again — this time in fury — moments later when Ashlon Jackson drew a charge to take it right back.
But on the ensuing possession, the star guard from China, Texas, missed a three with 7.2 seconds left on the clock, giving the Gamecocks the ball. A quick Okananwa foul sent Kitts back to the line, where she made both, effectively icing the game.
Staley’s group jumped out to a 25-14 early lead characterized by stout defense and tough shots. The Gamecocks had won 103 straight games in which they led by at least 10 points, and if the Blue Devils wanted to reach their first Final Four since 2006, they’d need to overcome history.
The Gamecocks built their lead amidst Duke’s confusion. In the second period, the game moved from physical and fast-paced to downright sloppy, with both teams committing multiple turnovers from smothering defense. The only sharp play was coming from South Carolina’s forwards around the rim, taking advantage of a foul-ridden Blue Devil frontcourt to put home tough layups.
In the last three minutes of the half, things were finally starting to go Duke’s way. Okananwa grabbed an offensive rebound off an Jackson missed three and fed it to Fournier, who drew two free throws. The freshman downed the first before missing the second, but Thomas was waiting. The standout sophomore forward found Jackson beyond the arc, and the junior drained a three to cut the deficit in half.
Out of halftime, there was a new life to the Blue Devils. On the first play, Jackson knifed her way to the rim for an easy layup, then a great defensive stand before a jumper from Donovan tied the game at 26. Richardson knocked a three down with a hand in her face to give Duke its first lead of the game and punctuate a 15-1 run.
Whatever burst Duke found after the break seemed to be sustainable. Lawson’s team’s jumpers were finally finding the bottom of the net, and the Gamecocks still couldn’t manage to find their way through the jungle of Blue Devil hands inside the arc.
As much as things seemed to be going Duke’s way, Staley’s group wasn’t going to go quietly. The No. 1 seed forced a number of turnovers as guards were attempting to move the ball up the floor, and steals by both Raven and Tessa Johnson kept the Blue Devils from getting quick points in transition. Every time Duke got ahead, the experienced Gamecocks wrestled back control of the game to advance to Tampa, Fla.
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