South Carolina women’s basketball: Magic City Comeback – The Gamecocks down the Blue Devils to advance to the Final Four

South Carolina overcame a four-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Duke 54-50 and advance to its fifth straight Final Four.

Behind its seniors, South Carolina scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to retake the lead. The 10-0 run began when Te-Hina Paopao hit two free throws late in the third quarter and turned a 42-36 deficit into a four-point lead.

Sania Feagin made a turnaround jumper, and then Raven Johnson hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 42. Paopao drove for the go-ahead layup, and then Chloe Kitts, the only Gamecock on the floor who was not a senior, added a tough layup. 

Duke answered with a jumper, and then Feagin drew contact on a layup, but didn’t get the call. 

Toby Fournier drove and scored through contact to tie the game at 46. She had a free throw to give the Blue Devils the lead but missed. 

With the shot clock running down, Feagin drove for the go-ahead layup.

Kitts drove for a layup to put the Gamecocks back up four and then forced a turnover, but South Carolina couldn’t convert.

Oluchi Okananwa, the ACC tournament MVP, scored to make it 52-50. Feagin missed a layup, but Duke knocked the rebound out of bounds with 29.8 seconds left.

Hall was called for an offensive foul on the inbounds for running over Ashlon Jackson. Duke called a timeout to set up a play, but South Carolina’s defense was locked in. Jackson launched a three for the lead, but it was an airball.

Hall grabbed the rebound, and after a timeout, Kitts sank a pair of free throws for the 54-50 lead. Hall then deflected Duke’s inbounds pass and Feagin grabbed the loose ball to secure the win.

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