South Carolina vs. Oregon State final score, results: Gamecocks stifle Beavers to clinch spot in Women's Final Four

David Suggs

•
South Carolina vs. Oregon State final score, results: Gamecocks stifle Beavers to clinch spot in Women's Final Four image

Sunday's Elite Eight matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 Oregon State promised fireworks.

The game more than delivered, especially as two of the sport's greatest colossuses — Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso and Beavers standout Raegan Beers — jostled back-and-forth for superiority.

South Carolina prevailed, 70-58, to maintain its unbeaten streak to start the season and reach its fourth consecutive Final Four. But neither Cardoso or Beers proved to be the most dominant player in the paint on the night.

Rather, that title went to Gamecocks sophomore Ashlyn Watkins. Watkins was immense, posting eight points, 14 rebounds and four blocks off the bench to lead South Carolina's charge to the national semifinals.

Watkins was not the leading scorer during Sunday's game; that recognition went to Beers, who finished the day with a game-high 16 points. Nor did she captivate the minds with mystifying drives to the rack like fellow bench star Tessa Johnson or MiLaysia Fulwiley.

But Watkins proved a regular threat, whether that be on the glass, at the rim or while shadowing the likes of Beers and Timea Gardiner.

When Cardoso — an honorable mention on this year's All-American team — needed a spell due to foul trouble, Watkins provided ample support to blot the impact of Beers and Gardiner.

She also secured perhaps the biggest stop of the game, swatting away Gardiner's effort just as the game hung in the balance in its final few minutes.

All told, it was a scintillating day at the office for the high-flying big, who shot her name up into lights with a legendary display in Albany's MVP Arena. The Gamecocks find themselves just two games from immortality. Given the amount of talent they've collected on their roster, that's plenty of time for another under-appreciated hooper to make their mark, too. 

The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday's Elite Eight clash between South Carolina and Oregon State. Follow below for highlights and analysis from all the action as the Gamecocks punched their ticket to the Final Four.

STREAM: Watch NCAA Tournament games live with Fubo (free trial)

South Carolina vs. Oregon State final score

  1 2 3 4 F
South Carolina 18 19 21 12 70
Oregon State 14 19 13 12 58

South Carolina vs. Oregon State updates, results, highlights from 2024 Women's Elite Eight

(All times Eastern)

3:08 p.m.: South Carolina downs Oregon State, 70-58, to secure its spot in the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season.

2:57 p.m.: Stunning display from Watkins, who caroms another Gardiner effort as SC retakes possession. That's her fourth rejection of the day. It very well could put this one out of reach.

2:55 p.m.: Tessa Johnson displaces Hansford to sink the and-one! Huge make for the Gamecocks as they attempt to close this one out!

2:51 p.m.: Hunter bypasses Paopao and get to the rack as Oregon State halves its deficit. 3:45 left in this one. Things are getting very interesting.

2:47 p.m.: Oregon State battling back in this one. Gardiner slithers behind Beers' harrowing screen to find space behind the arc. She sinks her triple attempt as the Beavers cut the Gamecocks' edge to six. 11-3 run for Oregon State over the past couple minutes.

End of third quarter: South Carolina 57, Oregon State 45

2:30 p.m.: The Gamecocks have strength in numbers. They're showcasing just how valuable such a quality can be in the third quarter. Feagin the latest to get in on the scoring action, sinking a layup on the fast break then slaloming through the lane to finish another lay-in. Dawn Staley's side finally starting to make some breathing room for itself.

2:27 p.m.: After missing 10 straight three-point attempts, the Gamecocks have begun to find a rhythm. Raven and Tessa Johnson (no relation) find the mark from distance as South Carolina opens up its biggest lead of the game — 12 points.

2:21 p.m.: Cardoso removed after picking up her third foul via Beers post-up.

2:17 p.m.: van Oelhoffen beginning to catch fire. Slipped into the paint for a slick layup on one possession, then followed up with a mid-range pull up on another. Oregon State is within two.

End of second quarter: South Carolina 37, Oregon State 33

1:58 p.m.: Another big three from Hunter! A timely six points in the second frame as the Beavers head to the locker room down four despite the foul issues.

1:56 p.m.: Beers get called for her third foul controversially. Looked like Sania Feagin initiated contact with Beers on the blockout. However, Beers gets whistled for the infraction. Oregon State's two best players this tourney have been felled by foul trouble today. That's less than ideal.

1:55 p.m.: Phenomenal pocket pass by van Oelhoffen, who slips a pass above the mire to find Hunter for the three.

1:52 p.m.: Ashlyn Watkins stepping up in a big way today. She's up to six points, five rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

1:41 p.m.: Gardiner picks up her third foul! That will likely park her for the remainder of the quarter. That's a big loss for Oregon State, which has been heavily reliant on her and Beers' offense during this year's tournament run.

1:37 p.m.: The fouls are starting to pile up for the Beavers. Beers and Gardiner both have two fouls three minutes into the second quarter. They'll need to be smart going forward in the first half. If not, it could get to being scary hours in Albany.

1:35 p.m.: Hansford bottoms yet another triple, her third of the game. Really stretching South Carolina's defense thin across the perimeter.

End of first quarter: South Carolina 18, Oregon State 14

1:27 p.m.: Lily Hansford sinks a pair of shots to end the frame as the Beavers cut into South Carolina's lead. Her perimeter shooting — the southpaw sank 45.4 percent of her three-point attempts this year — could prove vital, especially given the Gamecocks' monopoly on the paint at present.

1:23 p.m.: Freshman MiLaysia Fulmiley is beginning to percolate. South Carolina's floor general got the cup on two straight occasions and finished with aplomb over length. She looks to be feeling herself early.

1:21 p.m.: It's been a fairly strong start for the Gamecocks thus far. Dawn Staley's defense is moving mountains, harassing the likes of Beers and Gardiner to open up an eight-point lead. Three minutes left in the first quarter.

1:11 p.m.: And we're off! Beers opens the scoring after sinking a jumper from just inside the arc.

1:07 p.m.: The starting lineups for Sunday's contest are as follows:

South Carolina:

  • Te-Hina Paopao
  • Raven Johnson
  • Bree Hall
  • Kamilla Cardoso
  • Chloe Kitts

Oregon State:

  • AJ Marotte
  • Talia van Oelhoffen
  • Donovan Hunter
  • Raegan Beers
  • Timea Gardiner

1:04 p.m.: Plenty of support for the Beavers ahead of today's contest. They'll need all of it if they hope to nab the upset.

South Carolina vs. Oregon State start time

  • Date: Sunday, March 31
  • Time: 1:00 p.m ET

Sunday's Elite Eight matchup between South Carolina and Oregon State is set to tip off at 1 p.m. ET from MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

How to watch South Carolina vs. Oregon State

  • TV channel: ABC
  • Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Fans can watch No. 1 South Carolina continue its march towards a perfect season against No. 3 Oregon State on ESPN on Sunday afternoon. Cord-cutters can follow all the action on ESPN, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial.

NCAA Tournament schedule 2024

Below is the schedule for Sunday's Elite Eight contests:

Game Time (ET) TV/Livestream
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Oregon State 1:00 p.m. ESPN/ESPN+/Fubo
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 5 Gonzaga 3:00 p.m. ESPN/ESPN+/Fubo

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.