Cardoso’s first long-ranger holds off Lady Vols, 74-73
GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley knew her first option for a winning shot from outside, 5-foot-9 guard TeHina Paopao, would be bottled up by Tennessee.
So she demanded from the sideline that the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, the significantly taller Kamilla Cardoso (6-7), do what she’d been reluctant to her whole career: “Shoot it!”
Cardoso finally listened, banking home a desperation shot at the final buzzer for the senior’s first 3-pointer of her college career to preserve topranked South Carolina’s perfect record with a 74-73 win over the fifth-seeded Lady Volunteers in the Southeastern Conference tournament semifinals Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
“I added a couple more words that I can’t mention,” Staley said about her order to Cardoso, a former prep standout for Chattanooga’s Hamilton Heights Christian Academy who before Saturday had attempted one long-range shot — when she was a freshman at Syracuse.
“Coach told Kamilla to shoot the ball, and Kamilla shoots the ball with confidence,” said point guard Raven Johnson, who passed in to Cardoso at the top of the key.
The Gamecocks (31-0) had blown a 23-point lead and trailed the Lady Vols (19-12) 73-71 with 1.1 seconds left.
“I knew with the players we had on the floor, pretty much the only person who was going to be open was Kamilla,” Staley said. “So I just told Raven to get the ball to Kamilla. And I told Kamilla, ‘Hey, pass it to Paopao,’ and then at the last second, I was like, ‘Kamilla, shoot it.’”
Cardoso was mobbed by her joyous teammates as the large South Carolina crowd — the campus is only about a 100-mile drive from the Greenville arena — cheered in celebration.
“I was very happy my teammates believed in me,” Cardoso said. “I didn’t have best game I could have, off all night. I was happy I could make the shot and take them to the finals.”
Cardoso was playing in front of her mom and sister, who came up from Brazil to celebrate senior day with her last weekend in Columbia, which included the Gamecocks beating Tennessee to complete a regular-season sweep. That was their first chance to see her play in person since she left the country at age 15.
The Gamecocks are in the SEC final for the ninth time in a 10-season stretch and will look for their eighth title in that span when the face eighth-ranked, second-seeded LSU with a 3 p.m. tipoff Sunday. ESPN will televise the game.
Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson scored 22 points, including 19 in the final two quarters, as the Lady Vols fought back from 35-12 down late in the second quarter. Her putback basket with 25 seconds left gave them their first lead of the game.
The Lady Vols had the chance to extend the lead with three seconds left, but Jasmine Powell, a 78% shooter at the foul line, missed a pair of free throws to give South Carolina a chance.
“I just hate that for them,” said Tennessee coach Kellie Harper, on the verge of tears talking about the loss — her team’s seventh in a row to South Carolina, including last year’s SEC championship contest.
The Gamecocks secured the rebound, and with no timeouts left, went up the floor. Tennessee, which wasn’t in the bonus yet for free throws, fouled South Carolina near midcourt with 1.1 seconds left, setting up the fantastic finish.
Jewel Spear added 21 points as the only other scorer in double figures for the Lady Vols, and Jackson rounded out her performance with team highs of nine rebounds and eight assists. Tamari Key had four blocks.
Cardoso and MiLaysia Fulwiley had 13 points apiece, with Cardoso blocking three shots, and Johnson scored 11 with team highs of seven rebounds and four assists.
Things could not have started any better for South Carolina — or any worse for the Lady Vols, who pushed the Gamecocks in every meeting this season but never could break through.
The Gamecocks opened up a 13-0 lead while Tennessee struggled to hit anything, missing its first 10 shots. South Carolina, behind the dynamic Fulwiley, eventually led 35-12 and looked it would put things away by halftime.
However, the Lady Vols finished the second quarter on an 11-1 run to cut the 23-point deficit to 36-23 at the break.
It got even more interesting late.
› LSU 75, Ole Miss 67
Angel Reese had a doubledouble while matching Flau’jae Johnson for the team lead with 21 points, Aneesah Morrow gave the Tigers another doubledouble with 12 each in points and rebounds, and the reigning national champions improved to 28-4 as their winning streak reached 10 games.
Reese had a game-high 17 rebounds for LSU, which led 19-12, 36-28 and 53-51 at the quarter breaks as the fourthseeded Rebels hung around in the final period.
Madison Scott led Ole Miss (23-8) with 22 points, Marquesha Davis added 21 and Kennedy Todd-Williams had 16.