Maryland Coach Calls Out Officiating as South Carolina Edges Into Elite Eight!
The South Carolina Gamecocks are heading to the Elite Eight, but not without controversy. Maryland head coach Brenda Frese made it clear she wasn’t happy with the officiating in her team’s 71-67 loss to South Carolina, though she stopped short of outright blaming the referees.
“It was a very physical game,” Frese said. “We got to the free-throw line quite a bit in the first half, and then all of a sudden, it changed in the second half.”
The Terrapins attempted 16 free throws before halftime, holding a 32-31 lead at the break. But in the second half? Just two free throws—both in the third quarter. Zero attempts in the fourth quarter had Frese questioning what changed.
“We just, for whatever reason, weren’t able to get to the free-throw line, and that’s a big piece of who we are,” she added.
Game-Changing Moments
It was a battle throughout, with No. 1 South Carolina trailing by seven points in the second half. With 3:25 left, Maryland led 60-59, but the Gamecocks answered with a 7-0 run, flipping the game in their favor.
One critical moment? Maryland’s Allie Kubek fouled out with 3:07 left, and South Carolina immediately capitalized.
“Those were some impactful calls, taking her off the court,” Frese said. “We lost a little bit of our cool and our patience. I think we got fatigued. I thought their depth wore us out.”
This was South Carolina’s closest March Madness game yet—and the first time they trailed in the fourth quarter this tournament.
Maryland guard Shyanne Sellers felt her team proved they belonged, despite entering as a 17.5-point underdog.
“People thought we were going to get crushed by 20,” Sellers said. “I think we set the record straight.”
Even Frese believed her team left behind a blueprint for other squads hoping to take down South Carolina.
“We believed we could win this game. We showed that we could win this game. And I think we gave a pretty good blueprint on how to beat South Carolina, to be quite honest.”
Dawn Staley Reacts to Referee Drama
Maryland wasn’t the only side frustrated with officiating. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley had plenty of animated discussions with the refs as well.
In the first half, the foul count was 11-5 against South Carolina, prompting criticism from Gamecock fans. But in the second half, the whistle swung the other way, with Maryland picking up 10 fouls in the fourth quarter alone—though many were intentional fouls to stop the clock late.
Despite the heated moments, Staley defended the referees postgame.
“The officials have a hard job. I don’t have thick enough skin to do their job,” she said. “My animation was probably more of a joking conversation than a heated one. That’s why they’re officiating in the Sweet 16.”
The final foul count? 19 on Maryland, 18 on South Carolina, and a lengthy 2-hour, 16-minute game filled with replay reviews and tense moments.
With No. 2 Duke up next in the Elite Eight, the Gamecocks will need to regroup and refocus.
🔥 Can South Carolina survive another test and punch their ticket to the Final Four? Stay tuned!
Next Game:
🏀 No. 1 South Carolina (33-3) vs. No. 2 Duke (29-7)
📅 Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
📍 Legacy Arena, Birmingham
📺 ABC | ESPN App
