NCAA Women's Final Four: South Carolina defense smothers Louisville in semifinal win

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Standing near the top of the key, Louisville point guard Hailey Van Lith spotted an opening in the South Carolina defense.

The Cardinals were trailing by nine early in the fourth quarter on Friday night, and with most everything else failing, Louisville’s leading scorer and spark plug tried to make something happen.

Van Lith drove to her left, hoping to carve out a clear path to the basket. But in an instant, Brea Beal was on the scene. Using her quickness and a six-inch height advantage, the Gamecocks guard met Van Lith at the free-throw line and hounded her all the way to the hoop.

Van Lith tossed up an off-balance runner that caromed harmlessly off the backboard and into the arms of South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, who started a fast break that Beal finished on the other end with a layup.

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South Carolina's Aliyah Boston fouls Louisville's Olivia Cochran during the second half of a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament Friday, April 1, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

That exchange typified most of the night for the Cardinals, who lost 72-59 in the NCAA women's national semifinal. The Gamecocks' defense, one of the best in the nation, proved to be too much for Louisville, which averaged 72.2 points per game this season but wilted under South Carolina's pressure and tough matchups.

Beal and fellow guard Destanni Henderson pestered Van Lith all game, limiting her to just nine points on 4-for-11 shooting after she averaged 21.5 points over the first four games of the NCAA Tournament.

"They did a really good job of making it hard for