N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament: South Carolina and Texas Advance to the Round of 8

GREENSBORO, N.C. — There could be only one winner in the battle of the Carolinas.

South Carolina, eager to win its first national championship title for five years, defeated North Carolina in the round 16 of the N.C.A.A. women’s tournament, defeating the Tar Heels, 69-61, on Friday night.

The Tar Heels have been a disruptive force in the Greensboro area, sending fourth-seeded Arizona home in the second round. However, the young team was not able to match the Gamecocks’ depth. Aliyah Boston, the junior forward star, was the highlight of her team. She scored 28 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. Victaria Saxton, senior forward, delivered when her team needed her with 14 rebounds as well as two key blocks.

South Carolina won 13 points in the fourth quarter with Boston.

But the win didn’t come easily. South Carolina struggled to keep pace with the Tar Heels in half one. They drove downcourt repeatedly, keeping low and moving fast down the lane. The Gamecocks gave up 23 points in the first half. Deja Kelly, North Carolina’s sophomore guard, danced around South Carolina’s defense to lead her team with 23 points.

Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke and others responded with the speed and scoring that the Gamecocks needed in order to stay afloat. After a successful jump shot, Henderson was able to score 13 points while Cooke scored 15. Boston came in after they missed a basket and finished it with two, three or four Tar Heels almost hanging off her.

“That was a tough game — hats off to North Carolina for playing an extremely efficient basketball game,” Coach Dawn Staley said. “They pushed us to the limit.”

The game was the third Sweet 16 matchup between the programs since 2014, and North Carolina’s first appearance in the third round since 2015, when it lost to South Carolina. The Gamecocks will next face the winner of Friday night’s game between Iowa State and Creighton.

Gamecock and Tar Heel fans alike filled the Greensboro Coliseum, just a three-hour drive from Columbia, S.C., and an hour’s drive from Chapel Hill, N.C., creating a sea of light blue and red against South Carolina’s neon green and pink sneakers.

After losing by two points to Stanford last year’s semifinals, the Gamecocks were determined to find redemption. But coming into Friday’s game, a Gamecock win was far from a sure bet. While their ferocious defense, one of the best in the tournament, has denied its competition again and again, the Gamecocks’ offense has struggled to convert drives to points.

“This shows it’s only going to get tougher and tougher,” Cooke said after the game. “We have keep our foot on the gas the whole time.”

— Remy Tumin

Texas elbows past Ohio State in a physical game.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Texas advanced to the round of 8 for the second straight tournament with a 66-63 victory over Ohio State on Friday, aided by decisive play from its senior guard Joanne Allen-Taylor and the team’s go-to post players, Lauren Ebo and Aaliyah Moore.

The Buckeyes’ best two scorers all season, Jacy Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell, combined for 36 points, not enough to overcome the Longhorns’ physical defense.

The Longhorns took an early lead, staying ahead until Texas’ point guard, the freshman Rori Harmon, picked up two fouls in the first quarter when a charge and a blocking call didn’t go her way in quick succession.

It looked as though Ohio State might beat Texas at their own game. The Buckeyes were pressing the Longhorns every time they inbounded a ball, from baseline to baseline. Texas Coach Vic Schaefer said that the press “is just who we are” before the game, but it was the Buckeyes who threatened turnovers every time the Longhorns had to take the ball across halfcourt.

The Buckeyes closed the first quarter with an impressive 4-point lead. Sheldon was responsible for this, as he kept finding ways to score, even when shooting opportunities were scarce.

Allen-Taylor had 13 points in the first half and added 4 to the second. Texas took a lead when Texas muscled to the basket with only three seconds left. Texas went into the locker room with the bucket and the foul. It was remarkable that she managed to escape the first quarter without being fouled. This was especially notable given how physical the game had been. The teams only managed one successful 3-pointer in halftime. Players had to fight for every attempt, no matter if it was inside or outside the arc.

The Longhorns gained some momentum in the third quarter. They forced turnovers and scored off them, while also scoring second-chance point. But Ohio State’s senior guard Braxtin Miller hit all but one shot she attempted that quarter, scoring 8 points and keeping Texas from getting comfortable.

The Buckeyes began to feel a little less energetic and started to let loose their full-court press. Texas led by five points entering the final frame.

Texas led by as much as 10 points. Ohio State took control of the game with a series turnovers. With just four minutes left, Ohio State brought the game back within reach. The Longhorns’ lead shrank to 1 point as the game clock wound down, and the Buckeyes had the ball. Texas was able use its defense, which has been its calling card all year, to force a turnover and make its free shots to win.

— Natalie Weiner