Gamecock Digest

South Carolina Heads Back to the Final Four After Win Over Duke

South Carolina makes it five straight seasons to the Final Four.
Alex Joyce|
Mar 30, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bree Hall (23) looks inside during the first half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the Duke Blue Devils at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bree Hall (23) looks inside during the first half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the Duke Blue Devils at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks are heading back to the Final Four for the fifth straight season after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 54-50 in the Elite Eight.

In a rematch of a regular season game, South Carolina and Duke met in the Elite Eight. While the Gamecocks came away with the victory for the second time this season, it certainly didn't come easy.

South Carolina was up six points heading into halftime, but it was the third quarter that caused drama yet again for the Gamecocks. Duke came out firing on both ends of the court in third quarter. The Blue Devils would go on to outscore South Carolina 20-12, taking the lead entering the fourth quarter. But like they've done a lot in this tournament, the Gamecocks used their championship pedigree to take over the final quarter.

As she's done all year, Chloe Kitts showed up when the game was at its most crucial point. Kitts would score eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter alone. Kitts and forward Sania Feagin scored the final eight points of the game for South Carolina, which matched Duke as a team in the fourth.

This win proved there was a lot the Gamecocks can improve on before playing in the Final Four in Tampa. South Carolina was outrebounded 41-30 in this game and at times did not look crisp as a unit, something not typical of this generation of the Dawn Staley era.

Speaking of Staley, the records keep racking up. She accounts for all six of the Gamecocks’ Final Four appearances (2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and the only NCAA National Championships in program history (2017, 2022, 2024). The winningest head coach in program history is building upon a legacy that seems to have no end in sight.

South Carolina is in waiting mode as the UCLA Bruins are taking on the LSU Tigers in the Elite Eight of their bracket. UCLA was the first team to beat the Gamecocks in two seasons, after beating South Carolina by 15 in Los Angeles. On the flip side, South Carolina defeated LSU in their only matchup of the season. The Gamecocks have the team to win back to back titles, but the road only gets tougher from here.

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Alex Joyce
ALEX JOYCE

Alex Joyce is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism. Alex began his career in television as a news and sports reporter. During his career, Alex has been able to cover everything from breaking news to the game’s brightest moments. His passion for journalism drives him to deliver compelling stories and to connect with his audiences.

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