It is my typical operation to blog about each half during these final games. I only have so much more that I can blog about – and so I want to honor these athletes as much as I can before the weekend is over.

Of course, I mentioned how great Auburn and Duke were doing at halftime, only to watch Florida and Houston come back to make the championship game. But I will risk the chance that I am a jinx. The blog must have content!!!

South Carolina started off with an 11-8 lead in perfect fashion for their team as four different players scored. But Azzi Fudd made multiple baskets for the Huskies to lead them to a 19-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

A big moment in the second quarter was the South Carolina leading scorer Joyce Edwards picked up a second foul on a Paige Bueckers shot and ended up sitting the rest of the half. Bueckers hit both free throws to increase the lead to 7. The lead would stay around there until the end of the half when Ashlynn Shade hit a three-pointer to give the Huskies a 36-26 halftime lead.

Azzi Fudd had 13 points, Sarah Strong had 8, and Paige Bueckers had 8 to lead the Huskies, while Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson had 5 points each from the bench to be the leading scorers of the balanced South Carolina team.