Gonzaga holds off South Carolina 77-73 in Final Four

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Their star guard was outstanding.

The Bulldogs won the West Regional last week and will face 7 seed SC at University of Phoenix Stadium for a spot in Monday’s national championship game.

“I’ve always felt that experience helps to get back”, SC coach Frank Martin said. Zach Collins has chipped in as well with three blocks. “I had four fouls today”.

Martin’s teams have certainly developed a reputation for playing tough and aggressive defense, but it’s not until you really look at the numbers that you can see just how hard SC has made it for teams to thrive on the perimeter.

The Gamecocks (32-4) won both previous meetings, 64-61 at home during the regular season and 59-49 in the SEC Tournament championship in early March in Greenville, South Carolina. “To be playing the last game of the year is just insane cool”.

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina.

Their game will feature the top two defenses in the country by adjusted efficiency, with Gonzaga narrowly at No. 1.

FEELING GOOD: Thornwell, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, missed Thursday’s practice when he wasn’t feeling well. He does a great job staying vertical, because he’s not a great shot blocker, he stays vertical and contests. “We really got out of sync and never really got it going in the third quarter”.

Thornwell said the idea was to get in position for one last quick shot. USC forward Chris Silva said Karnowski reminds him of Kentucky forward Bam Adebayo.

SC erased Stanford’s nine-point halftime lead when the Gamecocks went on a 19-4 run that took up most of the third quarter. “We’re 37-1. The one game we lost this year, we panicked”, he said. “I know Columbia is happy and, honestly, I’m so happy and proud of them”. You’ve watched them in almost two decades worth of NCAA tournaments when they’ve been good, but not quite good enough.

Alanna Smith, left, shoots past SC forward A’ja Wilson (22) and guard Allisha Gray.

The game will take place at 7:30 EST and will air on ESPN 2.

“We’re fine. We haven’t been nervous before”, Gonzaga guard Jordan Matthews said. “And we try to do our best to respond the way we learn how to respond”.

South Carolina’s swarming defense has carried them to the Final Four, forcing an average of 17 turnovers per game in the tournament while holding all of their opponents to less than 40 percent three-point shooting (including two under 26 percent).

“It just humbled me, and I came back with a chip on my shoulder, ” he said. “I am so happy for them. And then just the intensity, the physicality, the athleticism that they bring on the glass is a real concern”.

The Zags pulled nine points ahead by halftime despite an injury to center Przemek Karnowski’s right eye that took him out of the game for the last five minutes of the first half. The Cardinal were led by McCall’s 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Smith’s 14 points and 12 rebounds. I was a little winded just because I haven’t done anything in a couple of days, but other than that I feel pretty good.

“These girls are really special to me”, Roberson said. Thornwell had a big jumper in the run and 10 in the second half after a 1-for-5 first half. 2, 3 and 4 seeds in the East region. Gonzaga will be one of the favorites to do so, but will have to get past a SC team that has answered every challenge thrown its way in this tournament.

The teams combined for 14 blocked shots, eight by Gonzaga. Collins was huge off the bench for the Bulldogs.

Alanna Smith got Stanford within 53-50 with 2:10 to play, but SC scored the next five points to force a Cardinal timeout and the Gamecocks secured the victory.

In a span of fewer than four minutes, the Gamecocks made 8-of-9 field goals and erased the entire lead. SC shot 37.9 percent (25 of 66) for the game while the Bulldogs were 29 of 60 (48.3 percent).

The scary thought for Gonzaga supporters is that some nights those long-range jumpers just don’t fall.

SC (32-4) advances to the program’s first women’s national championship game at 5 p.m. Sunday.