GREENSBORO, N.C.- The school’s first trip to the Final Four was on the line for both teams. The game was tied with 2 1/2 minutes to play. Tiffany Mitchell scored 13 second-half points including nine of South Carolina’s last 16 to lead the Gamecocks to an 80-74 victory over Florida State in the final game of the Greensboro Regional.
Mitchell’s layup with 2:01 remaining broke a 67-67 deadlock and her 3-pointer with 1:17 left gave top-seeded South Carolina a 5-point margin, then its largest of the contest. Asia Dozier hit four free throws to ice the game in the final minute.
Mitchell finished with 21 points. No. 2-seed Florida State, which led most of the game including 41-38 at intermission, was led by Letcia Romero’s 13 points. South Carolina coach and former Olympian Dawn Staley became just the second female to reach the Final Four as both a player and coach.
Craig Way and Brenda VanLengen called the action on Westwood One Sports.