NC State women's basketball team receive warm welcome home after loss to South Carolina
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WTVD) -- After a loss against South Carolina, NC State women's basketball team was welcomed home with cheers and excitement on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Wes Moore and the team arrived at about 1 p.m. at the Reynolds Coliseum.
In the Wolfpack's Final Four matchup on Friday, a nightmarish third quarter destroyed any hopes of knocking off No. 1 and undefeated South Carolina. NC State fell 78-59 to the Gamecocks.
The Wolfpack (31-7) trailed just 32-31 at halftime and things were tied 16-16 after one period.
But whatever message South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley gave her team at the midway point clearly had the desired effort -- and then some.
The Gamecocks (37-0) came out on fire in the third quarter and outscored the Wolfpack 29-6 in that period, turning a tense matchup into a blowout.
At that point, the game was effectively over.
All-America center Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points for South Carolina. Aziaha James scored 20 points for NC State.
Cardoso added 11 rebounds while playing just 23 minutes. She hurt her right leg late in the first half and returned in the third quarter, wearing a black compression sleeve on the leg. She did not play in the fourth.
Ashlyn Watkins was just as dominant inside for the Gamecocks, finishing with 20 rebounds along with eight points. Raven Johnson added 13 points.
NC State coach Wes Moore knew his team would have to play its best to have any chance of bringing down bigger, badder South Carolina.
On Thursday, he likened the semifinal to a David-vs.-Goliath matchup and promised his team would "put the stone in the sling and let it rip." The Wolfpack needed more than stones.
Unlike a year ago, when South Carolina stormed into the Final Four in Dallas with an identical 36-0 record before losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the semis, the Gamecocks kept this season pristine.
The 6-foot-7 Cardoso made sure of it despite not moving as well as usual after the injury. South Carolina, which won by an average of 29.6 points this season, left no doubt after halftime, showing its dominance to a sellout crowd and a national TV audience.
Te-Hina Paopao and Johnson made 3-pointers as the Gamecocks quickly stretched their lead to 10, and they closed the quarter with a dizzying 17-1 run that quieted a rowdy NC State crowd.
Still, it was a remarkable season for the Wolfpack, who were unranked in the preseason but reached only their second-ever Final Four and the first under Moore.
With a Top 10 recruiting class for next season, NC State appears positioned for another deep NCAA tournament run.
South Carolina advanced to Sunday's championship game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where it will meet the winner of the second semifinal between Iowa and UConn. The Gamecocks are looking to become the first undefeated national champion since UConn in 2016.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
