Aaliyah Boston led the charge for the South Carolina Gamecocks with an impressive 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in their victory over second-seeded Maryland on March 27th. Her outstanding performance was a key factor in the team’s cohesive offense, helping to secure their place in the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Basketball Championship Final Four.

Despite trailing 21-15 in the first quarter, the unbeaten Gamecocks bounced back to finish the half with an eight-point lead, thanks in part to Boston’s 12 points during that period of gameplay. From there, they never looked back, ending the third quarter with a scoreline of 62-58 in favor of South Carolina. With a layup and jumper from Boston before she was subbed out in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks racked up an additional 24 points to seal the win with a final score of 86-75.

After the game, Coach Dawn Staley praised Boston’s incredible performance, noting her ability to be a “moving target” on the court by frequently changing her position. “She made some incredible drives, she was just all over the place,” Staley said. “I thought we did a great job…allowing us to play through her no matter where she was on the court.”

Staley also expressed that Boston was “due” for a standout performance like this one, as it was her best game of the tournament so far.

The South Carolina Gamecocks will now move on to their third consecutive Final Four appearance, where they will take on Iowa on Friday night.