BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 23 points, including a go-ahead layup with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left, and Chloe Kitts added 15 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 1 seed South Carolina beat fourth-seeded Maryland 71-67 on Friday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The defending national champion Gamecocks went back-and-forth with the Terrapins all game before finally doing enough in the final few minutes to put it away. South Carolina will play Duke on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.
Dawn Staley’s team trailed 60-59 with 3:25 left before holding Maryland without a point over the next three minutes. Fulwiley’s layup began the 7-0 run that gave the Gamecocks (33-3) just enough of a cushion.
Kitts added three free throws during the run and Fulwiley scored on a coast-to-coast drive.
The Gamecocks were up 66-60 with 25 seconds left when Saylor Poffenbarger ended Maryland’s scoring drought with a 3-pointer.
But the Terps couldn’t get closer as the Gamecocks made five of six free throws down the stretch, including two by Fulwiley with 10.9 seconds left that made it 71-65.
Duke 47, North Carolina 38
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Oluchi Okananwa recorded her third double-double of the season to lead No. 2 seed Duke past No. 3 North Carolina and into the Elite Eight.
The Blue Devils will make their 12th Elite Eight appearance in program history and will play South Carolina on Sunday.
Okananwa scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half and had 10 rebounds off the bench for Duke. Ashlon Jackson finished with 10 points, and Toby Fournier, Duke’s leading scorer this season who missed the second round with an illness, was held to three points.
Fifth-year senior Alyssa Ustby had nine points on 3-of-10 shooting for the Tar Heels, who fell short of advancing to their first Elite Eight since 2014.
