BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- South Carolina has been tested at various points throughout the NCAA tournament, but its biggest came with 29.8 seconds left against Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday, clinging to a two-point lead.
Veteran Bree Hall was whistled for an offensive foul, sending Ashlon Jackson sprawling to the floor. Hall says she was ready to have a meltdown, incredulous the call went against her. Assistant coach Mary Wooley calmed Hall down, reminding her she had a chance to make a defensive stop on the other end of the floor.
As Duke began to run its offense, the clock ticking down, the ball went to Jackson. Hall got in her face as Jackson attempted a 3-point shot that would have given the Blue Devils the lead. Instead, Jackson missed badly. Hall got the rebound and South Carolina held on 54-50 to advance to its fifth straight Final Four, its quest to repeat as national champions still alive.
"I don't know if it could have happened any more perfect," Hall said. "Because it was literally like I messed up down there on offense and then turned around and got the ball back on defense. I was very happy."
The reigning national champions have certainly not made it look easy, nor have they made life easy on themselves. But if Sunday showed anything, it is the resilience that has been on display throughout the NCAA tournament.
Trailing against Indiana at halftime in the second round? Came back to win. Trailing in the fourth quarter to Maryland in the Sweet 16? Came back to win. Each time different players stepped up to make big plays in what has become a trademark to this championship run.
But in both the Indiana and Duke games, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley relied on her starters down the stretch to get the job done. In addition to the big defensive stop from Hall, Chloe Kitts nailed two free throws with 5 seconds left to seal the game. It was a redemptive moment for Kitts, who missed two free throws late in the third quarter with South Carolina down five.
Kitts, who finished with 14 points and Regional MVP honors, said Staley drew up the play for her after the missed Jackson 3-point attempt - knowing Duke would have to foul. At first, Kitts asked Te-Hina Paopao to be the ball handler, worried about her earlier free throw misses. Paopao refused and told her, "Go get the ball."
"I was just taking a deep breath, and I told myself that my coach wanted me to have the ball at the end of the game because she knew I could make my free throws, and I told myself that I'm really good at basketball and I made both of them," Kitts said.
Hall chimed in: "I was at the free-throw line. I was screaming, 'You're unshakeable! You're unshakeable! You got this.'"
Before that moment, it looked dicey.
Though South Carolina set the tone early, the Blue Devils adjusted and turned the game into exactly what they wanted: A defensive struggle in which points were at a premium.
Over the final 6:16 of the second quarter, South Carolina scored one point, on a made free throw, as Duke chipped away at the lead. Its defensive effort intensified in the third quarter, stymying the Gamecocks at nearly every turn. With its offense finding a groove behind freshman Toby Fournier and clutch 3-point shots, Duke soon built a six-point lead.
But it was hard to keep South Carolina down for long. The Gamecocks opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to retake the lead on Paopao's jumper, sending the South Carolina-leaning crowd into a frenzy.
"I thought they forced us into taking some bad shots that almost ended our season," Staley said. "But at the end of the day, I thought when we had to make plays off of broken sets, we did it in the fourth quarter, and I think that was the difference between them coming back and building the lead and us bearing down and making sure we win those broken play battles."
Headed into the fourth quarter, MiLaysia Fulwiley said the message was straightforward. South Carolina had been here before; Duke had not.
"We just were telling each other, 'We have to fight,'" Fulwiley said. "We have to win. These teams are not better than us. These teams don't understand how to win at this level, at this time of March. They haven't been there before. I told them y'all have been here before. Y'all know what to do. Y'all know how to win and how not to lose. Just go out there and show that."
Indeed, Staley had those veterans with multiple Final Four appearances on the floor at the end of the game. Perhaps sensing that, Duke kept Fournier on the bench with the game on the line. Duke coach Kara Lawson said it was a coach's decision. Fournier led all scorers with 18 points, but only six after halftime.
After Kitts made her free throws in the final minute, the crowd, sensing another Final Four appearance was near, stood on its feet and cheered. Paopao and Hall were the first to reach half court and celebrate and were soon joined by their teammates, who have made it no secret they want to be the first team in school history to repeat as national champions.
That dream is still alive after yet another display of resiliency Sunday.
"It's hard, especially when we're trying to go back to back and everyone's out for blood, especially against us," Paopao said. "We know that every night is going to be a battle, and we know that they're going to come for us, and we battled through. We persevered, and I'm just super proud of my team. I can't emphasize that enough."