South Carolina and Indiana have had two very different paths to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament. On the one hand is an undefeated Gamecocks squad entering as the favorite to win the 2024 championship. On the other a lunch pail Indiana team seeking its second-ever Elite Eight berth.
The Indiana Hoosiers survived 21 lead changes and 10 ties to overcome Oklahoma in the second round and advance to the Sweet 16. Forward Mackenzie Holmes scored 12 of her 29 points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
"I didn't want to end my last game in Assembly Hall with a loss. I couldn't let it happen again," Holmes said, referring to the 70-68 upset loss to Miami last year. "I would do everything in my power not to let that happen."
Holmes did just that. It was a hard 29 points as the Hoosiers forward went 12-23 from the floor. Although the shots weren't initially falling, the Indiana roster kept its leading scorer confident. That is what sets Indiana apart, Holmes believes.
"No deficit is too much," Holmes said. "We have so many threats. We're so well balanced. It's the competitiveness we have. We're never going to quit. We're a team that will fight for 40 minutes."
Every bit of the Hoosiers' resolve will be tested against the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday night. The Gamecocks lead the nation with a 30.9 scoring margin in 2023-24 and their scoring margin in the 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament alone is 49.5 points.
The Gamecocks were back to full strength against North Carolina. South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso had a double-double in her return from a one-game suspension.
"We haven't played like that in a super long time," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said after the win over the Tar Heels. "Every single one of our players made an impact coming into the game. We needed a performance like this. Hopefully playing this good of a basketball [game] can be contagious throughout the rest of the way."
Let's take a look at how you can watch the game before getting to a key storyline to follow in the game below.
How to watch (1) South Carolina vs. (4) Indiana
Date: Friday, March 29 | Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: MVP Arena -- Albany, New York
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
South Carolina vs. Indiana: Key storyline
The Hoosiers outlasted Oklahoma with only one of its 75 points coming from a reserve player. Each starter played 32+ minutes. That is night and day from the 51 bench points South Carolina scored in its 88-41 win over North Carolina in the second round.
What's more, South Carolina seems to be getting better as the tournament goes on.
