BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Dawn Staley has seen a lot of growth in South Carolina star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley over the last few months.
The Gamecocks coach wasn’t happy with the way the sophomore was playing on either end of the court on Friday, so she lit into her in the third quarter. In the past, Staley knows Fulwiley couldn’t have handled the criticism.
This time, she listened to her coach and elevated her game. Fulwiley scored 16 of her 23 points in the second half, including a couple of to help the top-seeded Gamecocks beat fourth-seeded Maryland in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Staley said earlier this season, Fulwiley “wouldn’t have been able to recover from” the harsh words.
“(She’d) shut down. Probably have lost the game. She was the one who really could manufacture her own shots. Make baskets. She just wants to win. I think in those moments I can coach her the most,” Staley said.
South Carolina was locked into a back-and-forth game with Maryland, in danger of becoming the first defending champion to lose in the Sweet 16 since 2013.
The Gamecocks trailed 60-59 with 3:25 left when Fulwiley’s aggressive play decided the game. She hit a layup to begin a 7-0 run that gave the Gamecocks just enough of a cushion.
She converted another coast-to-coast drive and a few free throws over the last few minutes.
“No one in the country has anyone to match that type of speed,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “We were trying to corral her with two or three players. I thought she was no question the most valuable player in this game. She played 20 minutes and had 23 points. We had no answer for her. That’s how elite she is with her speed.”
That speed and big-play ability was on full display in the third quarter. Fulwiley had a nifty pass to Te-Hina Paopao, and then, with 22 seconds left in the period, she dribbled down the left side of the court, flipped the ball behind her back and swished a jumper that gave her team a two-point lead heading into the final quarter.
“Just went out there and tried to help my team to get closer to our next goal which was the Elite Eight and I did that,” Fulwiley said.
South Carolina will face Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Blue Devils beat Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina earlier Friday.
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