As Dawn Staley likes to call them, it was another “knock-down, drag out” fight between South Carolina women’s basketball and Florida State in the NCAA tournament.
But for the third time in the past five years, the Gamecocks came out on top, winning 72-64 to advance to their sixth consecutive Sweet 16 at Halton Arena on Sunday.
Fourth-seeded USC (23-9) had to overcome a rough day on the defensive glass and make several clutch free throws to clinch the back-and-forth victory.
Florida State had 23 offensive rebounds and 19 second chance points, but Carolina went 20-for-24 from the free throw line, including 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter.