Bree Hall on what sparked the South Carolina run in first half of their Sweet 16 matchup vs. Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers played some impressive defense for much of the first half in their Sweet 16 matchup on Friday with top-seeded South Carolina. But then the Gamecocks turned it on in the final few minutes, pulling away thanks to a 15-4 run to close the half to push their lead to 49-32. Heading into the locker room after the second quarter, South Carolina shooting guard Bree Hall spoke with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
Hall drained a number of threes early in the game. How much does that change how teams have to defend Kamilla Cardoso? “I think it makes it hard, obviously. I think people are used to packing it into the paint. So, we’ve been working all season long on our three-point shots,” Hall said.
What sparked the Gamecocks 15-4 run going into halftime? “I think it starts with our defense. We’re really getting all the rebounds. Just playing inside defense and guarding the three-point line like Indiana does,” Hall said at the half.
Gamecocks star Kamila Cardoso had 13 points at halftime. With 8:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, South Carolina only lead the game 65-57 and the Hoosiers managed to keep within striking distance.
South Carolina has been one of the most dominant teams in women’s college basketball history this season and haven’t lost a game. If the Gamecocks can close the season out and go undefeated, they’d be the first women’s team to do so since UConn did it in 2015-2016.
Hall and South Carolina pulled out the win on Friday
The Gamecocks pulled it out on Friday, prevailing 79-75, but it wasn’t without some very tense moments in the final minutes of the game. South Carolina connected on eight of 16 shots from beyond-the-arc (50%). They also shot 50% from the field, drilling 30 of their 60 shots.
The Gamecocks got 22 points from Kamilla Cardoso and 14 points from Raven Johnson, who drilled a clutch three to put the game away in the final minute. The Indiana Hoosiers finished with five scorers in double figures, with Sydney Parrish leading the way with 21 points.
Up next for top-seeded South Carolina, they’ll face off against No. 3 seed Oregon State in the Elite Eight. Game time for that one is set for 1:00 PM EST. The winner will punch their tickets to the 2024 Final Four.