After she posted a quiet game against Miami in the second round, South Carolina got exactly what it needed from star forward Aliyah Boston in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday night, as she dominated against North Carolina to power the Gamecocks into another day of the NCAA Tournament.
Boston, an overwhelming favorite to win national player of the year honors, showed exactly why she merits that distinction, putting up 28 points and pulling down 22 rebounds as she put the Gamecocks on her back in the crucial late stages of the game.
The fifth-seeded Tar Heels brought a fight with them to Greensboro, with the Gamecocks up just 23-22 after the first quarter, although USC buckled down to allow only eight points in the second, battling to take a 39-31 halftime lead.