A double-digit lead for South Carolina
The Gamecocks started pulling away after the half, nabbing the first double-digit lead of the game.
With just under 5 minutes to go in the quarter, they lead the NC State Wolfpack by 12.
Breaking down the Wolfpack's game
Coming in to tonight's game, The Wolfpack had the fourth-lowest foul rate in the nation, although given South Carolina’s spotty free throw shooting, that might not be much of an advantage for their semifinal. N.C. State has also done a good job on the defensive boards, which could be a more important asset.
The Wolfpack are just 25th in offensive rating. They aren’t great at forcing turnovers or getting offensive rebounds, and for a team with fairly middling shooting percentages, N.C. State’s inability to create extra chances could be a problem.
In This Tournament: Outside shooting was big for the Wolfpack the last two games. N.C. State went 16 of 35 from 3-point range against Texas and Stanford. The Wolfpack, however, had only four offensive rebounds against the Longhorns, six against Stanford and three in the second around against Tennessee.
South Carolina hasn't lost since last season
The Gamecocks took the court without a loss this year, touting their impressive 36-0 record.
The NC State Wolfpack, on the other hand, entered with a record of 31-6.
Cleveland mad for basketball and eclipse
CLEVELAND — People here have their eyes on the court — and the skies.
Between the women's championship and excitement over Monday's eclipse, the city is buzzing with energy.
The action kicks off on the hardwood tonight at 7 p.m., and the moon is expected to block out the sun here at 3:15 p.m. Monday.
South Carolina leads by one at the end of the half
The score sits at 32-31 at the end of the first half, in South Carolina's favor.
Kamilla Cardoso walked off the court, appearing to be injured, with just minutes left on the clock. We'll see if she makes it back after halftime.
Kamilla Cardoso is on a tear
The South Carolina center is already in double digits, racking up the last 10 points for the Gamecocks — and knocking in all of her team's points thus far into the second quarter.
Final 4 x 2 = UConn and NC State
Hearing a lot about UConn? Or NC State?
That’s because both the men’s and the women’s teams made it to this year’s Final Four in their respective tournaments.
The UConn men’s team will face Alabama and the NC State men’s team will play Purdue tomorrow night. The winners will advance to the men’s championship game.
Tied up at the end of the first quarter
South Carolina and NC State will head into the second quarter knotted up 16-16.
Check the three-point line
Earlier in the tournament, there was an issue with the 3-point line for the at Moda Center. A discrepancy in distance at each end of the court went unnoticed through four games over two days before Texas and NC State were informed of the problem ahead of their Elite Eight matchup on Sunday.
The teams’ coaches agreed to play Sunday’s game as scheduled with the mismatched 3-point lines rather than delay it, the NCAA said in a statement. N.C. State beat Texas 76-66 to advance to the Final Four.
Tickets to the women’s Final Four are selling for twice as much as the men’s
The average price paid for a ticket on the resale market this week was twice as high for the NCAA women’s Final Four compared with that for the men’s semifinals, according to a technology company that analyzes prices across multiple platforms.
The average price of a ticket sold to the women’s semifinals was $2,323; the average sale price for the men’s was $1,001.21, Logitix reported Wednesday.
The women’s games Friday match Iowa against Connecticut and South Carolina against North Carolina State at the 19,432-seat Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Including data from sales made a month ago and longer, the average price for the women’s semifinals is $1,131.78, compared with $400.29 for the same period in 2023.