#1 South Carolina Defeats #9 Indiana 64-53, Advances to Sweet 16

The top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks overcame a halftime deficit to defeat the ninth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers 64-53 in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive year. Despite a sluggish first half where they trailed 26-25, South Carolina dominated the third quarter with a 26-14 scoring run, fueled by Chloe Kitts, who scored all her 10 points in the second half, and Bree Hall, who contributed 11 points. The Gamecocks improved their home NCAA Tournament record to 18-0 and their overall record to 32-3. Coach Dawn Staley is expected to use the team's slow start as a valuable lesson moving forward. South Carolina will next face either fourth-seeded Maryland or fifth-seeded Alabama in the Birmingham 2 Regional. Indiana, although competitive early on, could not match the depth and talent of the defending champions over the full game.