South Carolina Beats TCU in March Madness as Fans Eye Final Four Matchup vs. UConn

South Carolina's Final Four streak now sits at six years and counting after advancing to the national semifinals.

The Gamecocks pulled away in the fourth quarter and beat TCU 78-52 in the NCAA women's basketball tournament at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.

They outscored the Horned Frogs by 18 points in the fourth quarter to make the final score more one-sided than the contest was for much of the 40 minutes.

Forward Joyce Edwards had a game-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass, and three blocks. Guard Raven Johnson filled out the box score with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal.

Through she came out on the losing end, TCU guard Olivia Miles showed why she's likely to be a lottery pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. She had 18 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals.

TCU's supporting cast didn't rise to the occasion. Marta Suarez in particular had a game to forget.

The senior forward, who came in averaging 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, appeared to pick up a minor leg injury toward the end of the first half. She wound up with nine points on 4-of-17 shooting and five rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

While this wasn't a signature performance from South Carolina, it embodied the survive and advance cliche for the most part. Things will undoubtedly need to improve for the next round.

SC's focus will shift to a rematch of last year's national championship. UConn awaits the Gamecocks in the national semifinals on April 3.

The Huskies no longer have Paige Bueckers, but that didn't stop the from running the table during the regular season. They've also won their first four games of the tournament by an average margin of 32.5 points.

If South Carolina plays up to its full potential, this will be a titanic battle:

Twenty-three points was the margin of victory in the 2025 title game. The Final Four could be equally one-sided if the Gamecocks aren't more potent offensively. Making six three-pointers probably won't cut it when UConn is averaging almost 88 points per game.

An outing like the one they had Monday might be exactly what they needed to refocus and dial back in. The way South Carolina closed in the fourth quarter was much more like what fans have come to associate with Staley-coached teams.

Should that version show up from the opening tip against UConn, the Huskies' repeat bid might come to an end in the semis.