South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso had never taken a 3-pointer in her Gamecocks’ career before finding herself wide open with the clock ticking down against Tennessee in Saturday’s SEC tournament semifinal. But in every practice, according to guard Raven Johnson, Cardoso works on her jumper with associate head coach Lisa Boyer. “It translated to the game,” Johnson said.
Cardoso banked in the game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Gamecocks past the Lady Vols 74-73. The shot moved South Carolina to the conference tournament championship and kept its undefeated season intact. Coach Dawn Staley had drawn up the play for Cardoso, and told the center to shoot it. “She’s got a decent shot,” Staley said. “She’s got a decent midrange. She’s got a decent 3. She’s always going to be open. Maybe she’ll shoot it (more in the future).” More than unlocking any new option, however, the Gamecocks showed they can win in a number of ways.
One can break down South Carolina’s win from many perspectives. The Gamecocks had a 23-point lead late in the second quarter and allowed Tennessee to make it a game. Yet even after squandering their advantage, they executed with the game on the line. Despite being a dominant second-half team all season, South Carolina struggled early…
