GREENVILLE, S.C. − On Saturday evening, Kamilla Cardoso played hero.
South Carolina women’s basketball’s senior center banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Gamecocks a 74-73 win over Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Saturday in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The No. 5 Lady Vols (19-12) chipped away at the No. 1 Gamecocks (31-0) lead throughout the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, working all the way back to take their first lead of the game off a layup from star forward Rickea Jackson with 24.5 seconds left.
But with 1.1 seconds on the clock, Cardoso stepped into a 3-pointer and sent the crowd into a frenzy. The basket was her first career 3-point field goal.
South Carolina will play in the SEC Tournament championship game against the winner of LSU and Mississippi on Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN) in Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
After a sluggish offensive start Friday in which the Gamecocks turned the ball over 10 times in the first quarter, South Carolina entered Saturday’s matchup with a renewed sense of urgency.
South Carolina outscored Tennessee 13-0 off the jump and didn’t give up a basket for over seven minutes. In the first quarter, the Gamecocks outrebounded the Lady Vols 20-7, including nine offensive boards, and didn’t give the ball away once to enter the second quarter ahead 19-6.
Tennessee offense lights up in second half
It was all Tennessee after the break.
The Lady Vols turned around a 23-point deficit, working back to take its first lead of the game against South Carolina with 24.5 seconds remaining. Jackson was especially strong in the half, scoring 19 points after a quiet three points in the first half.
When Tennessee needed a bucket the most with the score tied and under a minute to go, it was Jackson who came through − muscling for a rebound off her own miss and getting the shot to go.
While the Gamecocks didn’t particularly struggle shooting the ball, hitting 45% of their shots in the half, the Lady Vols shot 57% from the field and made 5-of-10 3-pointers to come back.
South Carolina dominates on the glass
South Carolina was hunting for rebounds early Saturday. The Gamecocks controlled the rebounding margin in the first half and finished with an 27-15 advantage on the glass.
When Tennessee worked its way back into the game, the difference in rebounding was a large factor. The Lady Vols switched the rebounding margin back into their favor for much of the second half, finishing with just seven fewer boards.
Despite being evenly matched against the Lady Vols’ height, the Gamecocks proved to be the aggressor on the boards, especially in the first half. They had nearly as many offensive rebounds (13) as the Lady Vols had total rebounds (15) at the break and turned their second-chance opportunities into 12 points in the half.