The South Carolina Gamecocks saw their NCAA Tournament run come to a heartbreaking and devastating end in the Final Four on Friday night, falling 66-65 to fellow No. 1 seed Stanford in the final seconds.
The Gamecocks and the Cardinal battled to a draw for much of the game, with neither team gaining comfortable separation despite Stanford’s 5-point lead at the half. Foul trouble hampered South Carolina star Aliyah Boston in the second half, as the Gamecocks had to liberally sub her in and out after she picked up her fourth personal in the third quarter. Boston’s absence hurt South Carolina offensively, but especially defensively, as she wasn’t able to provide key rebounds and rim protection.