SACRAMENTO — Oklahoma came into Saturday’s Sweet 16 with a defensive game plan built around eliminating South Carolina’s interior game. The Sooners doubled every post touch, sold out to keep the bigs out of the paint, and dared the Gamecocks to beat them from the perimeter.
It was the wrong gamble against the wrong team.
The Historic Shooting Performance
South Carolina went 10-of-14 from three-point range — a 71.4 percent clip that set a program record and tied for the highest three-point percentage ever recorded in a Sweet 16 game. It also ranks tied for sixth best in any Sweet 16 or later game in NCAA Tournament history.
Oklahoma’s aggressive double-teams created the openings. Every time a South Carolina big caught the ball, two defenders collapsed — and every time that happened, a shooter was standing wide open behind the arc. The Gamecocks didn’t hesitate.
Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk acknowledged the impossible dilemma her defense faced.
“I mean, 10-for-14 from 3 — you have to plan for their interior play,” Baranczyk said. “They’re so strong and tall and they finish well. They are still crafty. They can face. They can have their back to the basket. They rebound. You have to take care of that. So for them to do that, that puts a lot of pressure on that end, too.”
That’s the fundamental problem South Carolina presents — there is no clean defensive solution. Protect the paint, and the shooters burn you. Guard the perimeter, and the bigs dominate inside. Oklahoma chose to prioritize the interior and paid for it with a historic shooting display.
South Carolina finished with 21 assists on 34 made baskets — a ratio that reflects an offense operating as a genuine collective rather than a collection of individual talents.
No One-Man Wrecking Crew
The ball movement was the story behind the shooting numbers. Joyce Edwards finished with just eight points — a season-low — but her four assists were second on the team, and her decision-making in the face of Oklahoma’s pressure reflected a veteran understanding of what the defense was giving.
“That’s what you’ve got to do — they take away one thing, and you go lean on another. You have to guard the whole team,” Edwards said. “We’re not a one-man wrecking crew.”
It’s a statement that captures South Carolina’s identity precisely. Oklahoma’s defensive scheme partially worked — Edwards, Madina Okot, and reserves Maryam Dauda and Alicia Tournebize were all held below their typical production. But containing four players only matters if the fifth and sixth options miss. South Carolina’s depth of shooting talent made that an unrealistic bet.
The Defense That Doesn’t Get Enough Credit
While the three-point record dominated the postgame conversation, South Carolina’s defensive performance deserves equal attention. The guards extended their pressure all the way to midcourt — a suffocating scheme that required constant communication and commitment. When anyone broke from the assignment, the entire bench erupted in correction.
The result: Aaliyah Chavez — who had carved the Gamecocks up for 15 points in overtime during their January meeting — needed 21 shots to produce 21 points on Saturday. South Carolina will accept that trade every time. Raegan Beers managed 14 points and eight rebounds but never imposed herself the way she had in Norman. The Gamecocks outrebounded Oklahoma by three and nearly matched them in paint points despite the Sooners specifically scheming to prevent exactly that.
Makeer’s Moment
Perhaps the most encouraging storyline of the tournament so far has been the emergence of freshman Agot Makeer. Saturday marked her third consecutive double-digit scoring game — a remarkable run given that she had only three all season heading into March.
Makeer’s value extends well beyond scoring. Her defensive versatility allowed Dawn Staley to deploy her at positions one through four against Oklahoma, creating lineup flexibility that most freshman bigs simply cannot provide at this stage. Her confidence is visibly growing with each game, and her teammates are feeding it — calling her an X-Factor and the next leader of the Seatbelt Gang.
For a South Carolina program built on sustained excellence, the fact that a freshman is blossoming precisely when the stakes are highest is both timely and telling. Her future is bright — and right now, so is her present.
