GREENVILLE, S.C. — The script has become routine for South Carolina in this year’s N.C.A.A. women’s basketball tournament. In the first half, South Carolina, the reigning champion, often looks surprisingly vulnerable, perhaps on the verge of its first loss this season, primed to be on the wrong side of a monumental upset in a March that has been filled with them.
But in the second half, the Gamecocks wear teams down, and remind everyone why they are the top seed and an odds-on favorite to repeat as champions.
The Gamecocks followed that path again on Monday night in front of a raucous crowd as they beat second-seeded Maryland, 86-75, to advance to their third straight Final Four. Aliyah Boston led the Gamecocks with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, recording her ninth double-double in an N.C.A.A. tournament.
On Friday in Dallas, South Carolina will play No. 2 seed Iowa, which is led by the scoring and passing phenom Caitlin Clark. In the other semifinal, Louisiana State will face Virginia Tech, which beat Ohio State on Monday night for the first Final Four berth in program history.
“I know what it feels like to lose,” South Carolina guard Brea Beal said. “I know what it feels like to be sent home. So I mean, every game that we played this season, we played, you…
