The big is back in the collegiate game.
There are a cadre of harrowing oaks treating the paint like the Garden of Eden in the tournament. Few have the stature of South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and Oregon State’s Raegan Beers, however.
Cardoso and Beers are two of the nation’s most-threatening interior presences, hulking ballroom dancers who tend to drop deft efforts along the glass at a moment’s notice.
They’ll face off in a clash of titans Sunday with a place in the Final Four on the line; Cardoso’s South Carolina battles Beers’ Oregon State in the Elite Eight.
The Gamecocks are the favorite, having dispatched each of their first 35 opponents. Things haven’t quite been a breeze in the postseason, however. Dawn Staley’s squad staved off a late Indiana rally to punch its ticket into the Elite Eight for the 10th-straight season.
The Beavers are no slouch, either. They’ve ran the gauntlet in the tournament thus far, most recently capturing an impressive victory against Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish last round.
They’ll have their work cut out for them in the regional semifinals. Between Cardoso, Raven Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Te-Hina Paopao and the various other gemstones on SC’s roster, Oregon State has quite the test ahead of it. However, with the glory…
