After a thrilling Elite Eight round, the women’s March Madness Final Four is set: South Carolina took down Duke, UCLA beat LSU, Texas topped TCU and UConn defeated USC. With the Final Four tipping off in Tampa on Friday, let’s take a look at some of the lessons we picked up from their Elite Eight games over the weekend.
Duke’s defense was impressive, but South Carolina’s experience and fight are tough to match
There were moments during Sunday’s game between South Carolina and Duke when it seemed like Duke’s suffocating defense could be enough to stop the Gamecocks' incredible run at four Final Fours in a row. But they had been there before, and knew that if they stayed calm and played their game, they could win.
“It was a really calm environment. We at halftime just came together and talked about different things we saw out there that we felt like we needed to do different,” said South Carolina guard Bree Hall. “At one point it was 2 to 10 and they just kept coming back and kept coming back. I felt like we had to change a few things and it was our calm energy that helped a lot. Coach is always calm with us in telling us what we need to do, and I think we did a good job executing."
South Carolina actually trailed Duke in most of the defensive categories, but the Gamecocks were able to force more turnovers (19-16) and earn more points off those turnovers (14 to Duke's 9). If they have another close game in the Final Four, that skill can make the difference in the final score.
UCLA can survive without Lauren Betts on the court, but life is better with the 6-foot-7 star
Late in the first quarter of Sunday's win, Lauren Betts got into foul trouble and ended up sitting on the bench for the entire second quarter. This could have been a huge trap for the Bruins because not only were they without their ...
