Defending national champion South Carolina left no doubt it would return to the title game, getting 14 points from Te-Hina Paopao and overwhelming Texas 74-57 on Friday night in the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina has finally reached the moment it played for all season long: The Gamecocks are in the national championship game, with a chance to make history. After overcoming another slow start, South Carolina blitzed Texas with a decisively dominant third quarter to put the game out of reach,

Texas jumped out to a 12-4 start thanks to four different scorers, with Madison Booker leading the way. However, Booker picked up two fouls early and had to sit, coinciding with South Carolina's push back. Texas led 19-18 after one, but it was South Carolina's bench (Joyce Edwards, MiLaysia Fulwiley) that made the early difference.