Gamecocks’ season ends in Final Four

There was no panic.

When Aleighsa Welch put back Tiffany Mitchell’s missed 3-pointer with 72 seconds remaining in Sunday’s national semifinal, South Carolina led for the first time all night. The Gamecocks were going to do it again – snatch victory from defeat – and they were going to Tuesday’s national championship game. It was scripted.

Notre Dame changed the ending.

Fighting Irish guard Madison Cable had a scene-stealing cameo, scoring her only points with 16 seconds to play. Cable turned an offensive rebound into a 66-65 lead, USC asked Mitchell to make something happen – and nothing happened.

Mitchell’s last shot hit the side of the backboard. The buzzer sounded, the glass turned red and it was over. As Welch bent over at midcourt, hands unable to stop her tears, the celebrating Irish ran to their bench. A stunned Mitchell fell to the floor in disbelief.

There was no other chance. No other way to get one more shot, one more try.

No other game.

The Gamecocks’ dream season, the best in program history, ended Sunday – a point short of the title game. Following the same pattern as their wins in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, USC began slow, turned to its bench to get back in the game and went ahead in the closing seconds. Welch scored off Mitchell’s miss, and the Gamecocks had the ball with the lead and 42 seconds to go.

But Welch missed a jumper, Notre Dame star Jewell Loyd went coast-to-coast and Cable trailed. Loyd pulled up for the game-winner, but A’ja Wilson was there. The blocked shot fell to Cable, she put it back and the Gamecocks had to hurry.

Coach Dawn Staley called a timeout with 14 seconds to play, ball at midcourt, and everyone at Amalie Arena knew where it was going. Mitchell would get it, and after beating North Carolina and Florida State with last-minute buckets, USC hoped it would work a third time.

But Notre Dame was too good and too disciplined to let Mitchell get a clean look.

“They were making it hard for me to try and find a shot,” she said. “And when I tried to pass it, they deflected it.”

The last shot never had a chance as the Irish (36-2) refused to let Mitchell beat them.

The Gamecocks leave Tampa with little to hang the heads about – they set a program record with 34 wins, lost three games, won the SEC regular-season and tournament championships and reached their first Final Four.

But after a one-point loss, they also were left looking at how close they were to Tuesday and playing for the biggest prize.

The Gamecocks missed nine free throws, including four straight from Welch and Alaina Coates, in the final four minutes. They handled Loyd, and All-American, early but were ripped by forwards Brianna Turner and Taya Reimer before Loyd heated up and finished with a game-high 22 points. Late unforced turnovers and discontinuing to do what got them back in the game – pounding the ball to the forwards – had them playing catch-up until the last minute.

And yet, the Gamecocks were right there. The putback had them there, 16 seconds away.

That’s the sting that will match this season’s achievement.

“We fought our way back, we got the lead,” Staley said. “At that point, you don’t exhale and think you got the game won. They just made the play.”

Welch, the team’s pulse the past four seasons, finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Wilson had a fabulous cap to a Freshman of the Year season with 20 and nine. The Gamecocks received the usual production from their stars and again showed their depth. Trailing 17-5 at the start, Staley inserted freshman guard Bianca Cuevas. While she was 1-for-8 for four points, she stabilized the offense and made it a game.

It was the way USC had won all season, but it also was the way Notre Dame has won – and the Irish had been in this situation before. They made the play and will play for their second national title Tuesday.

Staley, who has built a monster in Columbia, spoke of how the journey back to the Final Four begins now.

“I just hope they take note of how hard it is to get to this point and how hard it is to win a semifinals game,” Staley said. “But also how much work it took. And we’re not far off.”

Wilson said she was starving for another chance next year. Rising senior Khadijah Sessions again will stay in Columbia for the summer, working instead of relaxing. Mitchell will be a preseason All-American, and the talent behind her is substantial.

Staley vowed USC would be back. Replacing the effervescent Welch might be an impossible task, but the Gamecocks are built to make another run.

“What’s great about the senior class that’s leaving us is they’re leaving us with a legacy of leadership,” Staley said. “So, I think our players have taken note to how they’ve led our basketball team. And if they’re half the leaders that Elem (Ibiam) and Olivia (Gaines) and Aleighsa were to our basketball team, our program is in a great place.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2015 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Gamecocks’ season ends in Final Four."