Still Perfect: 36 & Counting

03/28/2023 Still Perfect: 36 & Counting

By: Jeff Yoder

#1 South Carolina & #1 Virginia Tech Join #2 Iowa & #3 LSU in Women’s Final Four

Still perfect! The Women’s NCAA Final Four is set after Monday’s double feature where South Carolina staved off Maryland to stay unbeaten and Virginia Tech outlasted Ohio State. The path to a title sets up for Aliyah Boston vs. Caitlin Clark (SC vs. Iowa) and a pair of underdog stories in LSU and Va-Tech. There’s no UConn, Notre Dame or Stanford as we fly toward Dallas for the last stand in the women’s game. Here’s how Monday happened:

 

#1 South Carolina def. #2 Maryland (86-75)

The undefeated Gamecocks got Maryland’s best shot early in Monday’s Elite 8 showdown, falling behind by six after the first quarter. South Carolina flipped the script in the second and third quarters to take a 12-point lead into the 4th that didn’t waver. Maryland shot 50 percent from the field and from 3, but it wasn’t enough to upend the favorites. Aliyah Boston had a 22-point, 10-rebound night to lead the way, and South Carolina (36-0) is two wins away from a perfect season. The defending champs get Caitlin Clark and the sharpshooting Hawkeyes on Friday.

 

#1 Virginia Tech def. #3 Ohio State (84-74)

Virginia Tech’s dream season continues! Va-Tech surprised the NCAA with a run to a 1-seed at the end of the season, but they’ve proven they belong with the program’s first trip to the Final Four. Ohio State hung with the Hokies through the first half, but Va-Tech’s dynamic duo was too much. The Hokies got 49 combined points from Georgia Amoore (24) and Elizabeth Kitley (25). Amoore knocked down four 3s. For Ohio State, Taylor Mikesell (25 points) went 7-for-11 from deep, but the rest of the team shot 0-for-9. Virginia Tech gets Angel Reese and LSU for a shot at the title game.

 

Women’s Final Four History

#1 South Carolina: 6th Final Fours | 2 National Titles

#1 Virginia Tech: 1st Final Four | 0 National Titles

#2 Iowa: 2nd Final Four | 0 National Titles

#3 LSU: 6th Final Four | 0 National Titles

 

Women’s Final Four (Friday)

#1 Virginia Tech vs. #3 LSU (Fri. 7:00 pm ET)

#1 South Carolina vs. #2 Iowa (Fri. 9:00 pm ET)

 

Women’s NCAA Tournament Bracket

 

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: Virginia Tech Heads to Final Four for 1st Time in School History

USA Today: There’s No Stopping South Carolina’s Wave Of Talent

Yahoo! Sports: Still Perfect: No. 1 South Carolina Holds Off No. 2 Maryland for 3rd Straight Final Four

 

Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images