GREENVILLE, S.C. — It’s rare that a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament has a David and Goliath feel. But what we’ve seen from the unbeaten South Carolina women’s basketball team this season is pretty rare too.
This is a squad with a 6-foot-7 center, Kamilla Cardoso, who can miss a shot then have a 6-foot-5 All-American, Aliyah Boston, there for the putback basket. Most teams would be beyond thrilled to have even one of them. The defending national champion Gamecocks have both, and that’s just part of their relentless lineup.
The Maryland Terrapins were the latest to experience this as the Gamecocks won 86-75 on Monday in the Greenville 1 Regional final at South Carolina’s home away from home in Bon Secours Wellness Arena. It’s about 103 miles to the Gamecocks’ Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, but the loud presence of thousands of South Carolina fans here made the two buildings pretty much indistinguishable over the past few days.
South Carolina won the SEC tournament in the Greenville arena on March 5, and 22 days later, it took the regional title…
