South Carolina women's basketball handles Maryland 86-75 to reach third straight Final Four

South Carolina women's basketball is headed back to the Final Four for the third consecutive season. The Gamecocks stamped their ticket to Dallas with an 86-75 win over 2-seed Maryland in the Elite Eight.

The No. 1 Gamecocks (36-0) overcame an early deficit to earn a comfortable victory over the Terrapins (28-7) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Monday. They will face 2-seed Iowa (30-6) on Friday at American Airlines Center with a berth to the national championship game on the line.

The victory set a new program record for wins in a season and continued the team's historic undefeated streak. South Carolina has won 42 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, and the Gamecocks are 2-2 all-time in the Final Four. The last time the team played in Dallas was the 2017 NCAA championship game, where it beat Mississippi State to win the program's first-ever national title.

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Zia Cooke fuels second-quarter turnaround

The Gamecocks got out to a sloppy start, allowing Maryland a 12-0 run that put them down six points after the first quarter. Only Aliyah Boston hit more than one field goal in the quarter, and leading scorer Zia Cooke went 0-3 from the field, including two misses from 3-point range.

However, Cooke had a breakout in the second quarter, hitting her first 3-pointer and shooting 4-of-5 for nine points in just six minutes. She finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Aliyah Boston dominates the floor

When South Carolina needed her the most, the reigning national player of the year delivered. Boston was well on her way to a double-double by halftime with 10 points and five rebounds, and she finished with 22 points and 10 boards. It was her highest-scoring performance since her 25 points on Senior Day.

Boston, a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, made an impact in nearly every statistical category. She finished with five assists, two blocks and was the team's most accurate shooting, hitting 10-of-14 from the field.

Gamecocks defense limits Diamond Miller

South Carolina played Maryland in the regular season while Miller was out with a knee injury, but her presence didn't change the outcome for the Terrapins. The senior forward averages 19.6 points per game but was held to just five points in the first half. She also gave up a team-high four turnovers, and the Gamecocks finished with 10 points off of turnovers.

The Gamecocks' stifling defense struggled early against senior guard Abby Meyers, who led the Terps with 14 points at halftime. In the second half, South Carolina quickly got Meyers locked up, and she ultimately fouled out early in the fourth quarter without a single field goal after halftime. Miller got going once Meyers was off the floor, and she finished with 24 points.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball beats Maryland, reaches Final Four