Gamecocks Looking for Sweet Return to Greensboro
NCAA TOURNAMENT SWEET 16
#1/1 SOUTH CAROLINA (31-2) VS #17/18 NORTH CAROLINA (25-6)
MARCH 25, 2022 | 7 PM ET | GREENSBORO, N.C. | GREENSBORO COLISEUM
FAN INFORMATION
- Fans planning on attending games in Greensboro, please be aware of Greensboro Coliseum policies with regard to bags and prohibited items.
- The Greensboro Coliseum is also selling tickets for the Regional to the general public. Ticket booklets include all the weekend’s games and are $50 each, and single-session tickets (Friday or Sunday) are on sale for $30 each.
GAMECOCK NOTABLES
- In its eighth-straight NCAA Sweet 16, South Carolina boasts the third-longest active streak in the country. (Stanford 14, UConn 28).
- South Carolina is 2-1 in NCAA Tournament games played in Greensboro – 2-0 in 2015, 0-1 in 2019.
- The South Carolina defense has held its two NCAA Tournament opponents to single-digit points in six of the eight quarters played. The combined 54 points allowed in the first two games dramatically lowered the previous NCAA record of 71. In five postseason games (SEC and NCAA Tournaments), the Gamecocks have allowed opponents to shoot just 29.6 percent.
- The Gamecocks have dominated the paint this season, scoring 37.8 points per game there this season, accounting for 53.3 percent of their total scoring.
- South Carolina’s rebounding dominance happens on both ends of the court. The Gamecocks lead the SEC in offensive (.459) and defensive (.754) rebounding percentage. Four Gamecocks average at least 5.3 rebounds per game, led by Aliyah Boston’s 12.1 per game (5th in the nation) and including guard Brea Beal’s 5.3 per game.
- The only player named a finalist for Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in as many seasons, junior Aliyah Boston’s consistent excellence on both ends of the court has reached new heights. She leads the nation in win shares (14.8) and is the other player ranked in the top 10 of both offensive and defensive win shares.
- South Carolina’s bench has averaged 24.8 points per game this postseason (SEC and NCAA Tournaments), accounting for 37.9 percent of the offense. The group entered the stretch contributing just 30.4 percent of the Gamecocks’ scoring. Laeticia Amihere (6.8 ppg) and Kamilla Cardoso (5.2 ppg) have led the way in the postseason.
BY THE NUMBERS
2 – South Carolina has allowed 65 or more points just twice this season.
+17.9 – The Gamecocks +17.9 rebounding margin leads the nation by 4.4 rebounds per game.
NOTES
The North Carolina Series
The Gamecocks and Tar Heels have history dating back to 1975-76, but the two have not played since 2014-15. North Carolina leads the overall series 11-8, including a 4-2 mark in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09 season). The two most recent meeting have come in the NCAA Tournament, including one in Greensboro.
South Carolina topped the Tar Heels 67-65 in the 2015 NCAA Sweet 16 with the Gamecocks going on to their first NCAA Final Four.
The previous NCAA Tournament meeting came in the 2014 Sweet 16 in Palo Alto, Calif., with the Tar Heels taking the 65-58 victory.
Gamecocks’ Tournament Summary
South Carolina’s 2022 NCAA Tournament story has been the story of their entire season – a primarily defensive plot line with a subplot of impressive rebounding.
Their 79-21 win over Howard in the opening round set NCAA Tournament first/second-round records for fewest points allowed in a first half (4), in a game (21) and tied the record for field goals allowed in a game (8). South Carolina also tied the record for rebounds in a game (69) and was second in rebounding margin (+41).
In defeating Miami (FL) 49-33 in the second round, the Gamecock defense set a record for fewest points allowed in the opening two rounds combined. Their 54 points allowed bested the previous record of 71.
Neutral Stance
The Gamecocks are 150-95 (.612) all-time on a neutral court. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is 67-27 in games played at neutral sites (.713), including a 40-16 (.714) mark in postseason play.
NCAA Tournament Take
South Carolina is in its 18th NCAA Tournament and its 10th straight under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks are 36-16 overall in the event with 12 Sweet 16 appearances, five Elite Eight seasons, three Final Four showings and the 2017 National Championship.
In her 22nd season as a head coach, Staley has taken a team to the NCAA Tournament 16 times. She is 30-14 at the event, including a 28-8 mark at South Carolina.
Gamecocks Against the Field
South Carolina faced 15 of the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament field, just one of which is in the Greensboro Region with them. The Gamecocks went 19-1 against those 15 teams, including an 11-1 mark against the seven other SEC teams in the field.
The Gamecocks played six of the other 15 teams still in the tournament – Maryland, NC State, South Dakota, Stanford, Tennessee and UConn – with wins over all six.
