South Carolina advances to SEC Tournament semifinals after dominating Vanderbilt
The South Carolina Gamecocks are moving up to the Semifinals of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tounament after defeating Vanderbilt 84-63 in the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Gamecocks will now face the winner of the Kentucky vs. Oklahoma matchup in the next round.
South Carolina has been dominant in conference play this season, with their only loss coming against Texas in the regular season. Vanderbilt, fresh off an upset win over Tennessee, couldn’t keep with the Gamecocks’ early momentum.
The Gamecocks built a commanding 24-15 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 48-23 by halftime, allowing just eight points in the second quarter. While South Carolina has faced some challenges this season despite being ranked No. 5 in the nation, their stronghold on the SEC remains intact, which head coach Dawn Staley addressed earlier this week.
Vanderbilt managed to cut the deficit to single digits late in the game, but the Gamecocks outscored the Commodores 23-15 in the final period to secure the win.
Chloe Kitts had a dominant performance with a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds, while MiLaysia Fulwiley contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench.
