Cardoso has double-double as Lady Vols denied upset bid
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Senior day is sometimes about last looks, but for the South Carolina women’s basketball team, it was the first time Kamilla Cardoso’s family got to see her play a college game in person.
The 6-foot-7 Cardoso, a former prep standout at Chattanooga’s Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, made sure it was well worth what it took to get her mother and sister from Brazil to Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks, with a Southeastern Conference regular-season championship already in hand, made sure they’ll head into postseason play with plenty of winning momentum.
Cardoso had 18 points and 14 rebounds, fellow senior Te-Hina Paopao scored 14 points, and topranked South Carolina completed its second straight perfect regular season with a 76-68 victory over Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.
The Gamecocks (29-0, 16-0) earned their 47th straight SEC regular-season win, their 57th consecutive victory at home and their sixth series triumph in a row against the Lady Volunteers (17-11, 10-6).
Making it more special for Cardoso was having her mother, Janete Soares, and older sister, Jessica Silva, on hand for the senior day ceremony and the victory.
Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley surprised the team’s leading scorer and rebounder on Saturday, when she brought Silva and Soares to practice. South Carolina shared video of the reunion on social media, with Cardoso covering her face with her hands and the trio sharing a long hug.
“This is an incredible moment for all of us,” Staley said Saturday, “for someone who has made incredible sacrifices for her family for the past eight years.
“We’ve got a chance to do something pretty special. Yep, Kamilla. Let’s bring the people who also made that sacrifice for the past eight years. To be away from your family as long as you’ve been away from your family, we wanted to make this day special.”
Silva and Soares joined Cardoso on the court Sunday as she was honored for her three seasons with the Gamecocks after beginning her collegiate career at Syracuse. Soares had a Brazilian flag draped around her as the fans cheered.
After the game, Staley said the visit had been in the works for some time but almost did not happen when the two were initially barred from entering the United States. Staley got in touch with Rep. James Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina. Members of his staff and several South Carolina administrators worked to secure visas for Cardoso’s relatives.
Fellow Gamecocks senior TeHina Paopao said Cardoso was moved by having her family close.
“It was just an amazing moment for us, for her to experience that,” Paopao said. “It was very heartwarming to see that.”
While Paopao, an offseason transfer from Oregon, received a framed jersey and a loud cheer from the crowd beforehand, her family brought gifts from their Polynesian culture, giving the team decorative flower necklaces that Staley wore to her postgame news conference.
Cardoso, who fouled out late in the fourth quarter, got a loud ovation in the sold-out arena as she went to the bench with her 13th doubledouble this season and the 29th of her career.
Staley said Cardoso had returned to Brazil several times during her career for family time, but this was different.
“To play in front of your family with all of us, I know she wanted to win and play extremely well,” the coach said. “And I thought she did that.”
The Lady Vols were swept in the regular-season series with the Gamecocks, but not without putting up a fight both times. On Feb. 15 in Knoxville, Tennessee kept pace for the first three quarters before South Carolina pulled away to win 66-55.
Down by 15 points in the third quarter Sunday, Tennessee pulled within 63-60 on Rickea Jackson’s jumper with 4:51 left in the game. Cardoso responded with consecutive inside shot to put the Gamecocks back in control.
Jackson’s game-high 29 points were accompanied by eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal. Jasmine Powell and Jewel Spear added 12 points apiece for the Lady Vols, with Spear grabbing seven rebounds and Powell getting six with a trio of assists. Tamari Key matched Jackson for the game high in blocks.
Cardoso had six points and six rebounds in the first quarter. After Tennessee took a 24-23 lead, she led the way as the Gamecocks outscored the Lady Vols 17-8 to close the second quarter and take a 40-32 lead into halftime.
Tennessee coach Kellie Harper was proud of her team’s resolve in hanging in once again versus South Carolina, which beat the Lady Vols in last year’s SEC tournament final, but she said the Gamecocks “just don’t have a lot of deficiencies” to exploit.
A perfect season was not talked about within the team when the season began, Paopao said — only a mindset to win each time the Gamecocks took the floor.
“It wasn’t really a goal,” she said. “It was just, ‘We’ve got to win the next game and the game after that.’”
The 14-team SEC tournament begins Wednesday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, with just two games on the first day as the four lowest seeds face off.
South Carolina has a double bye as one of the highest four seeds and won’t play until Friday’s quarterfinals, facing either eighth-seeded Mississippi State or ninth-seeded Texas A&M at noon. LSU is seeded second, Ole Miss third and Alabama fourth.
Tennessee is seeded fifth and will play Thursday, facing the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between No. 12 seed Kentucky and No. 13 Georgia. The Lady Vols are set to tip off 25 minutes after the completion of Thursday’s first game between Mississippi State and Texas A&M, which starts at noon.
If the Lady Vols win, they’ll face Alabama in Friday’s second quarterfinal.