No. 1 seed Gamecocks, No. 2 Seminoles meet in regional final

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Dawn Staley has spent seven years building South Carolina’s program to get to this point – past the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16, playing to reach the Final Four.

Florida State coach Sue Semrau has spent even longer trying to reach the tournament’s final weekend.

The Greensboro regional final today is a rare opportunity for both programs. It’s only the second Elite Eight appearance for either school, with one team set to make its first trip to the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.

The No. 1-seeded Gamecocks (33-2) survived to beat North Carolina 67-65 on Tiffany Mitchell’s last-second layup.

South Carolina had lost twice before in the regional semifinals under Staley, including a year ago to the Tar Heels. The Gamecocks are in their first regional final since 2002.

“Our team has been a creature of habit,” Staley said Saturday. “We’ve been able to focus on the task at hand and we’ve been able to turn the page and focus in on the next task. Obviously, it’s a great win for our program. It’s a great milestone. But it’s not our destination game.”

The No. 2-seeded Seminoles (32-4) have set a program record for wins this season. They edged Arizona State 66-65 to reach their first regional final since 2010 under coach Semrau, who’s in her 18th year at the school.