DALLAS – In the week since South Carolina earned its second trip to the Final Four in three years, junior forward A’ja Wilson has had a message for her teammates.

Savor this, she’d say. Don’t take this experience for granted. And definitely, don’t lose in the semifinal.

The Gamecocks must have listened.

South Carolina rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the first national semifinal behind a 13-point, 19-rebound performance from Wilson. South Carolina will play the winner of Connecticut and Mississippi State in the national title game Sunday night.

The Gamecocks advance to their first-ever championship game after surviving a dreadful second quarter, as South Carolina missed seven consecutive shots and watched a two-point lead turn into a 29-20 deficit by halftime. South Carolina hit just 26 % of its shots in the first half.

But South Carolina was ready for a run of its own after halftime, turning up the tempo on offense as the Gamecocks tried to outrun a Stanford team that wanted to be patient. South Carolina also increased its defensive intensity, helping force Stanford into a scoring drought of more than five minutes.

A three-pointer by guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the second half, and South Carolina never trailed again.

South Carolina forced 16 turnovers, nine of them in the second half, in a defensive performance that was typical for a Gamecocks team known for their aggression and physicality. That defense will be especially challenged in the title game against either UConn or Mississippi State, as both teams have far more explosive scorers than Stanford.

The Cardinal had two players in double figures, Erica McCall and Alanna Smith both with 14.</s>DALLAS -- When Mississippi State guard Morgan William made a jump shot at the buzzer from just outside the free-throw line to topple Connecticut and its 111-game winning streak on Friday night, it captured the attention of women's college basketball.

It sent Mississippi State into a frenzied celebration of its NCAA Tournament semifinal victory. The Bulldogs (34-4) advanced to play South Carolina (32-4) in an all-Southeastern Conference national championship game on Sunday evening at American Airlines Center.

It brought the Huskies face to face with the agony of defeat for the first time in more than 28 months.

By pulling off a huge upset in a semifinal game, Mississippi State brought to mind another semifinal shocker, or at least it did for Bulldogs coach Vic Schaefer.

Last season, before Mississippi State faced Connecticut in the Sweet 16, Schaefer said he watched the film "Miracle," about the 1980 U.S. hockey team that famously defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union in the semifinals of the Olympic Games before going on to a gold medal.

Now, Schaefer finds himself in a similar position as U.S. hockey coach Herb Brooks, who had to get his team focused on one more game after the semifinal upset.

"We talked about it in the locker room, that there is one more," Schaefer said during his postgame press conference late Friday night. "It's funny, last year I'm showing ("Miracle"), this year now I'm having to live it, 'cause there's one more game."

However, Schaefer also acknowledged it won't be difficult to focus his players on SEC-rival South Carolina.

The Gamecocks won the regular season SEC championship, finishing a game in front of second-place Mississippi State.

South Carolina defeated the Bulldogs in their only regular season game, 64-61, in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks prevailed again with a 59-49 victory over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament championship game in early March.

"We've been beaten twice by South Carolina," Schaefer said. "Our kids, we know what's coming down the pike. It won't take much to get their attention. That's our job, my job as the coach."

South Carolina erased a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Stanford in the first semifinal on Friday.

Gamecocks guards Allisha Gray and Tyasha Harris combined for 28 points and forward A'ja Wilson posted 13 points and 19 rebounds in the 62-53 victory over the Cardinal.

Now South Carolina and Mississippi State both will be playing in the national championship game for the first time.

Even before she knew her team would be facing an SEC foe in the title tilt, Wilson felt the significance of the moment.

"We know that we're not done," Wilson said. "But just the feeling of just making history at your school is just something really special. Especially with the game of women's basketball, we're kind of putting South Carolina on the map right now."

By knocking off four-time defending national champion Connecticut, Mississippi State probably caused ESPN to scrap a lot of prepared footage in prelude to the Huskies playing in the national championship game on Sunday.

But the Bulldogs also supplied plenty of drama in stepping into the national spotlight.

"I feel like we earned respect tonight," William said. "You know, people didn't believe in us. But it didn't faze us. We just had to go out there and play. I feel like it showed we're better than what everybody thinks."</s>DALLAS -- South Carolina was able to speed up the tempo after halftime, A'ja Wilson managed a double-double even while almost constantly surrounded by defenders and Dawn Staley finally got a win against Tara VanDerveer.

With all that, the Gamecocks are going to their first national championship after beating Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the women's national semifinals. The Cardinal led early, but struggled after star Karlie Samuelson sprained her ankle.

"I can't even put into words the feeling that I have right now. This is a very special team," said Wilson, who had 13 points and 19 rebounds. "I feel like we've earned this spot that we're in now. We know that we're not done. But just the feeling of just making history at your school is just something really special."

Allisha Gray scored 18 points for the Gamecocks (32-4), who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago.

They will play Mississippi State in an all-SEC matchup for the national title after the Lady Bulldogs upset UConn 66-64 in overtime. That ended the four-time defending national champion Huskies' 111-game winning streak.

Down 29-20 at halftime, South Carolina went ahead to stay with 13 straight points in the third quarter.

"The second half, I thought we just imposed our will from a defensive standpoint, sped the game up, and got playing at a pace which benefited our style of play," Staley said.

Stanford (32-6) took a big hit when Samuelson hurt her right ankle with about 4 1/2 minutes before halftime, after the Cardinal had taken an eight-point lead with a 13-1 run.

"Karlie twisting her ankle really kind of gave us a tough time," VanDerveer said. "She's really been the glue to our team all year. She talks, she makes big shots. If someone told before the game she won't score, I'd say we're in trouble. ... Psychologically and physically, it was a challenge."

Samuelson was injured when she was making a move toward the basket, and stepped on the foot of South Carolina guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore. Samuelson's right foot then slid onto the floor before twisting awkwardly. The senior guard grabbed near her ankle with both hands after falling down.

Two teammates came off the bench to carry Samuelson off the floor. She returned for the first 73 seconds after halftime, and got back in several times after that without making much of an impact.

"It hurt really bad when it happened," said Samuelson, who was scoreless in 25 minutes. "I sprained my ankle and we just didn't get the win."

The senior guard's younger sister, Katie Lou, played for UConn in the second semifinal game Friday night in the home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Erica McCall had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinal, but made only 7 of 19 shots. Alanna Smith had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

South Carolina went ahead 35-33 when Wilson, with defenders around her like most of the night, found Cuevas-Moore open for a 3-pointer that she hit from right in front her teammates on the bench during that big run.

Stanford missed three shots on its next possession, and South Carolina quickly extended the lead on freshman Tyasha Harris' one-handed bullet pass to Doniyah Cline, who was open under the basket for a layup.

That was the only assist for Harris, who finished with 10 points.

"She was shocked and amazed just like us," Harris said of Staley. "We just made history and she'd never done it before."

STALEY VS TARA: Staley played for VanDerveer on the U.S. women's team that won the 1996 Olympic gold medal. Staley had been 0-5 as a coach against her. "You'd think at some point the law of averages should play out," she said, smiling. Staley also made three consecutive Final Four appearances as a player for Virginia from 1990-92. Two of those included semifinal losses to VanDerveer and the Cardinal on way to their only national titles (1990, 1992).

BEING SURROUNDED: "Of course, it was very frustrating. It was very tough to remain tough. But it was something I've seen before in the SEC," Wilson said of all the defenders around her.

BIG PICTURE

Stanford: The Cardinal, who were down by nine points in the fourth quarter, couldn't pull off another comeback. They had trailed by at least seven points in six games it has come back to win this season. That includes five of their previous six games, all in the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournaments. They were down by 16 points after halftime in the regional final game against Notre Dame.

South Carolina: The victory kept up a big run by the South Carolina basketball teams. The men's team takes on Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday.</s>DALLAS – In the week since South Carolina earned its second trip to the Final Four in three years, junior forward A’ja Wilson has had a message for her teammates.

Savor this, she’d say. Don’t take this experience for granted. And definitely, don’t lose in the semifinal.

The Gamecocks must have listened.

South Carolina rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the first national semifinal behind a 13-point, 19-rebound performance from Wilson. South Carolina will play the winner of Connecticut and Mississippi State in the national title game Sunday night.

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The Gamecocks advance to their first-ever championship game after surviving a dreadful second quarter, as South Carolina missed seven consecutive shots and watched a two-point lead turn into a 29-20 deficit by halftime. South Carolina hit just 26 % of its shots in the first half.

But South Carolina was ready for a run of its own after halftime, turning up the tempo on offense as the Gamecocks tried to outrun a Stanford team that wanted to be patient. South Carolina also increased its defensive intensity, helping force Stanford into a scoring drought of more than five minutes.

A three-pointer by guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter gave the Gamecocks their first lead of the second half, and South Carolina never trailed again.

South Carolina forced 16 turnovers, nine of them in the second half, in a defensive performance that was typical for a Gamecocks team known for their aggression and physicality. That defense will be especially challenged in the title game against either UConn or Mississippi State, as both teams have far more explosive scorers than Stanford.

The Cardinal had two players in double figures, Erica McCall and Alanna Smith both with 14.</s>South Carolina defeated Stanford and now they are headed to the national title game. A'ja Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds in that game for USC.</s>DALLAS (AP) – Allisha Gray scored 18 points, A’ja Wilson had a double-double and South Carolina is going to its first national championship game after beating Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the women’s national semifinals.

Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds for the Gamecocks (32-4), who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago. They went ahead to stay with 13 straight points in the third quarter.

Stanford (32-6) took a big hit when senior guard Karlie Samuelson sprained her right ankle with about 4 1/2 minutes before halftime after the Cardinal had taken an eight-point lead with a 13-1 run.

South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, who played for Tara VanDerveer on the U.S. women’s team that won the 1996 Olympic gold medal, won as a coach against the Stanford coach for the first time in six tries.

Staley also made three consecutive Final Four appearances as a player for Virginia from 1990-92. Two of those included semifinal losses to VanDerveer and the Cardinal on way to their only national titles.

The victory kept up a big run by the South Carolina basketball teams. The men’s team takes on Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday.</s>DALLAS – Allisha Gray scored 18 points, A’ja Wilson had a double-double and South Carolina is going to its first national championship game after beating Stanford, 62-53, Friday night in the women’s national semifinals.

Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds for the Gamecocks (32-4), who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago. They went ahead to stay with 13 straight points in the third quarter.

Stanford (32-6) took a big hit when senior star guard Karlie Samuelson (Mater Dei High) sprained her right ankle with about 4-1/2 minutes before halftime. after the Cardinal had taken an eight-point lead with a 13-1 run.

South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, who played for Tara VanDerveer on the U.S. women’s team that won the 1996 Olympic gold medal, won as a coach against the Stanford coach for the first time in six tries.

Staley also made three consecutive Final Four appearances as a player for Virginia from 1990-92. Two of those included semifinal losses to VanDerveer and the Cardinal on way to their only national titles (1990, 1992).

Samuelson was hurt when she was making a move toward the basket, and stepped on the foot of South Carolina guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore. Samuelson’s right foot then slid onto the floor before twisting awkwardly. She grabbed near her ankle with both hands after falling down.

Two teammates came off the bench to carry Samuelson off the floor.

Samuelson, who finished scoreless while playing 25 minutes and taking only two shots, returned to start the second half. But she was back on the bench after only 73 seconds, standing behind the bench briefly while stretching her ankle and grimacing in pain. She entered the game several more times after that, but clearly was far from being 100 percent.

The senior guard’s younger sister, Katie Lou, played for UConn in the second semifinal game Friday night in the home of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. The four-time defending national champion Huskies played Mississippi State.

Erica McCall had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinal, but made only 7 of 19 shots. Alanna Smith had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Gamecocks went ahead 35-33 when Wilson, with defenders surrounding her as they did much of the game, found Bianca Cuevas-Moore open for a 3-pointer that she hit from right in front her teammates on the bench.

Stanford missed three shots on its next possession, and South Carolina quickly extended the lead on freshman Tyasha Harris’ one-handed bullet pass to Doniyah Cline, who was open under the basket for a layup.

That was the only assist for Harris, who finished with 10 points.

Stanford: The Cardinal, who were down by nine points in the fourth quarter, couldn’t pull off another comeback. They had trailed by at least seven points in six games it has come back to win this season. That includes five of their previous six games, all in the Pac-12 and NCAA Tournaments.

South Carolina: The victory kept up a big run by the South Carolina basketball teams. The men’s team takes on Gonzaga in the Final Four on Saturday.</s>Allisha Gray scored 18 points, A'ja Wilson had a double-double and South Carolina is going to its first national championship game after beating Stanford 62-53 Friday night in the women's national semifinals. Wilson had 13 points and 19 rebounds for the Gamecocks , who lost in the semifinal of their only other Final Four appearance two years ago.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Galveston County Daily News.</s>South Carolina advances to their first national title game with a 62-53 win over Stanford. USC head coach Dawn Staley talks about the feat after the game.</s>For the first time in program history, South Carolina will play for the national title.

The Gamecocks rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to top Stanford 62-53 Friday night at the American Airlines Center in a national semifinal game.

USC will face the winner of UConn and Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Sunday for the national title on ESPN.

South Carolina outscored Stanford 42-24 in the second half, including 21-8 in the third quarter.

The Gamecocks were led by Allisha Gray, who scored a game-high 18 points, including 13 in the second half. South Carolina All-American A’Ja Wilson scored 13 points and pulled down 19 rebounds.

USC opened the second half on a 19-4 run, taking a 35-33 lead on a Bianca Cuevas-Moore 3-pointer with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter.

The Gamecocks led the rest of the way with Stanford getting as close as three points twice in the fourth quarter.
The MSU Bulldogs advance to the title game against fellow Southeastern Conference team South Carolina, which defeated Stanford 62–53 in the evening's other semifinal.