No. 1 South Carolina rolls into SEC championship game

GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina coach

Dawn Staley had a message for her team, on its heels in the third and struggling to blunt another major Arkansas comeback at the SEC Tournament.

“I didn’t flinch and neither should you,” Staley said during a timeout after the 25th-ranked Razorbacks cut No. 1 South Carolina’s 19-point lead to 5548.

Destanni Henderson, Aliyah Boston and the Gamecocks did not give in, rolling to its 25th consecutive win 90-64 over Arkansas on Saturday night to reach the SEC championship for the fifth time in six seasons.

Henderson had a careerhigh 21 points, hitting four 3-pointers off the bench, and Boston got 13 points and 13 rebounds for her second straight tournament double-double.

The two also combined for all 12 points in a 12-0 to close the third period and restore South Carolina’s large lead.

“I just had to come out and match their energy,” said Henderson, who’s previous career best was 19 points in a win last year over Arkansas. “I had to stay ready, stay focused.”

That focus has South Carolina bidding for its fifth tournament title since 2015. It had won an SEC record four in a row before losing in the quarterfinals to Arkansas in 2019.

“We wanted back and we’re here,” Staley said. “No need to let up now.”

The Gamecocks will take on either defending SEC champion in No. 9 Mississippi State or No. 16 Kentucky in Sunday’s finale.

UCONN 94, TEMPLE 61

Crystal Dangerfield scored 22 points to lead six UConn players in doublefigures in Uncasville, Conn., and the fifthranked Huskies began their run at a seventh consecutive American Athletic Conference Tournament title with a rout of Temple in the quarterfinals. Freshman Aubrey Griffin added 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Lady Huskies (27-3).

FLORIDA ST. 62 LOUISVILLE 60

Nausia Woolfolk scored 16 points, Kiah Gillespie had 15 points and 16 rebounds and the No. 22 Florida State women beat No. 4 Louisville to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game in Greensboro, N.C., for only the second time in school history.

NORTH CAROLINA ST. 82 BOSTON COLLEGE 75

Aislinn Konig and Jada Boyd each scored 16 points, and No. 10 North Carolina State (27-4) reached the ACC championship game

SOUTH DAKOTA 99 NEBRASKA-OMAHA 40

Ciara Duffy scored 17 points and Monica Arens 16 and No. 17-ranked South Dakota (28-2) gashed Omaha 99-40 in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament. South Dakota will play the winner of Sunday’s quarterfinal game between Oral Roberts and Western Illinois