South Carolina’s second-half surge stuns NC State as Gamecocks advance to NCAA final

The N.C. State women’s basketball team kept unbeaten and top overall seed South Carolina close for a half, but the Gamecocks, buoyed by the return of Kamilla Cardoso, unleashed a barrage of scoring in the third quarter to pull away for a 78-59 win in the first of two national semifinals at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Friday.

Cardoso finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Gamecocks.

South Carolina (37-0) showed why it was the title favorite in the second half. Leading 32-31 at the break, the Gamecocks scored 16 points in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Wolfpack offense went cold — N.C. State managed just one field goal in the quarter.

The Wolfpack couldn’t shut down the paint, where USC scored 44 points compared to 20 for the Pack. The Gamecocks also outrebounded N.C. State, 46-31.

Aziaha James led the Wolfpack with 20 points. Zoe Brooks contributed 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals in the loss.

Saniya Rivers, who transferred from South Carolina, struggled to find her shot early. She started 1-for-7 from the field and committed three turnovers. After averaging 15 points per game in the tournament, Rivers finished with five points on 2-of-11 shooting in 33 minutes.

Moore went to his bench late in the game, giving freshmen Maddie Cox, Laci Steele and Mallory Collier playing time on the biggest stage. Collier scored a basket and pulled down a rebound down the stretch.