South Carolina women’s basketball remains unbeaten after miracle buzzer beater

With 1.1 seconds left and a one-point deficit against Tennessee, South Carolina women’s basketball’s two-year winning streak in non-NCAA tournament games seemed destined to unravel when an errant inbounds pass dragged the star center Kamilla Cardoso beyond the three-point line.

The Brazilian native had never made a three-pointer in her Gamecock career and hadn’t attempted one since 2020, but with no other options, Cardoso’s shot bounced off the backboard and into the net. A maddened crowd in white and maroon mobbed the unlikely hero, while South Carolina won 74-73improved to 31-0 and will likely play in the SEC tournament championship game on Sunday.

KAMILLA. DAMNED. CARDOSO!!! pic.twitter.com/KxV40Osnhe

— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 9, 2024

A Kardiac Kamilla appearance hardly seemed necessary after a lopsided first half, as South Carolina’s top-ranked defense held Tennessee scoreless for the first seven minutes and took a 13-0 lead. South Carolina’s evidently balanced scoring attack flexed its depth, with eight different Gamecocks scoring in the first half, and the SEC’s most anticipated quarterfinal showdown faltered amid laughter as USC took a 35-12 lead early. of the second quarter.

Ultimately, it was Tennessee’s defense that finally unlocked a stingy South Carolina team, as six points off turnovers fueled an 11-1 Volunteer run that brought the underdogs within 13 of entering the locker room. .

After a relatively quiet first half, Rickea Jackson and Jewel Spear led Tennessee’s valiant comeback effort, combining for 32 second-half points and scoring Tennessee’s first eight from the locker room to pull the Vols within single digits. Cardoso, capped by his heroic buzzer-beater, spent much of the second half disdaining Tennessee’s miracle, and after the Vols cut the deficit to two possessions early in the fourth quarter, Cardoso responded with another conversion at the rim. : USC center joined by MiLaysia Fulwiley. with 13 points, the team’s highest.

STILL UNDEfeated: South Carolina is the last remaining undefeated team in DI college basketball

Another resilient 6-0 run by Tennessee ended with a Tamari Key layup, tying Tennessee after the final media timeout for the first time since the opening seconds of the game. An impressive stretch of execution followed as the two teams combined to score on their next six possessions, entering the final minute deadlocked at 71. Rickea Jackson cleaned up her mess on the offensive glass with 24 seconds left to give the Vols their first lead of the game. game, and Jasmine Powell had a chance to ice Tennessee’s miraculous comeback at the line with 3.1 seconds left.

However, the fifth-year senior surprisingly squandered both opportunities at the stripe, and after Tennessee gave up a foul to give up, South Carolina found Cardoso on the sideline from center court. The Gamecocks remain in Greenville, South Carolina, awaiting the winner of LSU and Ole Miss on Sunday at 3 pm ET on ESPN for the SEC Tournament championship.