March Madness 2022: Aliyah Boston, Gamecocks carry relentless push into Final Four

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Aliyah Boston headed across the court to join her South Carolina teammates in their celebration when she bumped into assistant coach Fred Chmiel.

Almost immediately, Chmiel jumped into the 6-foot-5 junior’s arms for an exuberant hug.

It was a reversal from a year earlier, when Chmiel held a sobbing Boston on the court after the horn sounded to end South Carolina's title push in a Final Four game that ended with her missing a putback for the win.

Boston and the Gamecocks are headed back to that same point, this time as the No. 1 overall seed in the women's NCAA Tournament. They've relentlessly stalked this title dream all season.

"She’s mature enough to handle it," coach Dawn Staley said. "She’s grounded. She knows who she is. She never gets out in front of anything. ... That’s just a real good sign of just maturing and knowing who you are, knowing your worth and knowing that she’s probably the (national) player of the year."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston (4) reacts after cutting the net following a college basketball game against Creighton in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, March 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

The first-team Associated Press All-American had 19 points in Sunday night’s 80-50 win against Creighton in the Greensboro Region final, which sent South Carolina to the Final Four for the second straight year and fourth time overall. Next up is a national semifinal against the Michigan-Louisville winner.

Boston didn’t have the monster output like she did in the Sweet 16 win against North Carolina, and even saw the end of her 27-game