Fla. State, SC like to scrimmage in preseason

STOCKTON, Calif. — Leticia Romero might not remember all the details. Yet one thing comes to mind from Florida State’s six-point defeat to South Carolina in the Elite Eight two years ago.

“It was a fight,” the Seminoles’ star from Spain said. “I remember finishing the game and my whole body was hurting. We fought and they did, too.”

Here they come again, with the top-seeded Gamecocks (30-4) still chasing their first NCAA championship and the No. 3 seed Seminoles (286) determined to reach the program’s first Final Four at long last. They’ll face each other tonight at Stockton Arena.

A’ja Wilson remembers the previous NCAA matchup, all right.

“Going to the Final Four and just that feeling,” the South Carolina star recalled Sunday. “That’s something that I really want these girls to experience and that’s what we’re going to go out there and try to do.”

Florida State coach Sue Semrau has chosen to scrimmage the Gamecocks in recent preseasons, then found herself cheering for Dawn Staley’s team throughout the season.

“We love that opportunity, because we have so much respect for South Carolina and the job that Dawn’s done and the program and team that they have put together,” Semrau said.

“Really you look back to those scrimmage situations, and as a scrimmage partner, you follow them throughout the year because you’re a fan. Just have a ton of respect for who they are and how far they have come.”

Staley appreciates the kind words as her basketball team tries to return to the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 2015.

“I hope that our team plays a style of play that could make any coach proud,” Staley said.