Fifth-year backup gets her moment in Sweet 16
South Carolina women’s basketball player Tiffany Davis was trying to concentrate on the layup.
The senior guard was playing in her team’s Sweet 16 game against Quinnipiac, her squad was comfortably ahead, and as she went up and hit the deck, she heard teammate A’ja Wilson screaming from the bench.
“Yeah, Slim! And-1 Slim!” as the whole bench cheered.
“I didn’t want to look over there, because I knew I would have laughed,” Davis said. “And it was a serious moment because we were in the game.”
It meant something for Davis to hear those cheers and the cheers that went up when she banked in a desperation 3 a minute later. She’s spent a lot of time cheering those teammates, it only fit they cheered her on the big stage.
Davis only played 125 minutes this season, almost never in the competitive portion of games. That’s not the path she envisioned when she came to campus as a top-30 recruit at her position.
Four knee surgeries and a pair of ligament tears meant she never played a big role, but Davis said she learned other lessons and took the good from the experience.
“I’m here smiling; I’m in the Elite Eight,” Davis said. “I can’t ask for more.”
Her teammates were just as enthusiastic.
“I’m pretty sure if you were watching the game, you could see that all of us were super hype,” freshman guard Tyasha Harris said. “Each one of us, we stand up and cheer for everyone.”
Davis wasn’t the only end-of-the-bench player to get in, as freshmen Araion Bradshaw and Victoria Patrick combined for 21 minutes. Patrick hit a 3-pointer.
Flame thrower
South Carolina’s Kaela Davis had to wait for this one. Before transferring from Georgia Tech, she only experienced a first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament and a short WNIT trip.
Against the Bobcats, she seemed to want to make the most of the opportunity. The Gamecocks’ top shooter hit 5 of 6 shots from 3-point range, all her free throws, posted 28 points.
“Get my feet set, just making sure, kind of staying in rhythm,” Kaela Davis said of her successful approach.
Striking midnight
The 12th-seeded Bobcats’ run ended. After upset wins over Marquette and Miami, it was clear the emotions were raw.
In the past four years, coach Tricia Fabbri has guided Quinnipiac to the first three tournament trips in program history. Fifth-year senior Adily Martucci was a big part of the success, and couldn’t help tearing up after the game.
Fabbri likewise got choked up.
“For me as a coach, it’s always been the greatest part of my job, not only this year but in years past to step back and see the young ladies go through their freshman year to their senior year and walk through the doors.
“The process of watching them become what they’re meant to become through their four years is amazing.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2017 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Fifth-year backup gets her moment in Sweet 16."