Dawn Staley revealed South Carolina is hoping to deal with Duke’s post-game ahead of their Elite Eight showdown in March Madness.
Having defeated Tennessee Tech and Indiana in the opening two rounds, South Carolina fought off No. 4 Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen. MiLaysia Fulwiley led the scoring, putting up 23 points while Chloe Kitts delivered an impressive double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the 71-67 victory over Shyanne Sellers and Maryland.
The final score showcased how close the game was. Staley and South Carolina were certainly concerned, as the defending champions trailed at times in the fourth quarter as Maryland chased an enormous upset. But the Gamecocks held on and delivered to set up a clash with the Blue Devils.
Back in December, South Carolina secured an 81-70 win against Duke - their opponents in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks rode impressive defense to outlast the Blue Devils, with Kitts enjoying an impressive performance as she scored 21 points and added 11 rebounds.
Ultimately, Staley - who was paying tribute to a cancer-stricken young girl at March Madness - is hoping South Carolina can deliver a similar performance to get the necessary result to progress to the Final Four. But she outlined how the Gamecocks can replicate similar defensive hustle displayed a few months ago, while also pointing out how her team suffered from turnovers despite getting the win.
When asked what she and her team can take from the win over Duke heading into their all-important rematch, Staley said: “Well, just a win. You know you can beat somebody, is what we’re gonna take. Well, I’m also gonna just take that they turned us over 23 times.
“I thought our defense was pretty good on their perimeter players. We gotta do a better job on their post, so for us, we gotta put a complete game together in order for us to win this game - and Duke must do the same thing. I think the game is gonna be won in broken plays and how well we execute, and how well Duke executes in broken plays and disruption.”
South Carolina is in the Elite Eight for the fifth straight season as they pursue back-to-back NCAA Championships. However, after their Sweet Sixteen win, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese suggested her team’s performance gave other rivals “a pretty good blueprint” on how to beat Staley and co.
But the 54-year-old dismissed such suggestions. Addressing Frese’s comments, Staley said: “People have played us like that since we had Aliyah Boston... They did a good job executing their game plan, and we did a poor job of shot selection. We'll be better. We've just got to take better shots.”
Chasing a fourth NCAA championship in nine years, South Carolina will face No. 2 Duke in the Elite Eight of March Madness on Sunday, March 30.