South Carolina trio seeking 3rd national title in four years as March Madness start

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sania Feagin, Raven Johnson and Bree Hall are chasing history, even if South Carolina’s trio do it a bit under the radar at times.

The three, all part of the Gamecocks’ No. 1-ranked recruiting class before the 2022 season, are seeking a third national championship in the past four years.

It’s something they’ve talked about heading into top-seeded South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament opener with 16th-seeded Tennessee Tech on Friday.

The Gamecocks (30-3) are coming off a third straight Southeastern Conference Tournament title while the Golden Eagles (26-5) are on a 17-game win streak through the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

No. 8 seed Utah (22-8) plays ninth-seeded Indiana (19-12) in the opener.

It’s a bigger, final prize that Feagin dreaming of cutting the down the nets in Tampa in a few weeks.

“I think it about it, I do,” said Feagin, whose had a career high in points, rebounds and minutes this season. “Making this kind of history for the team.”

Johnson, a highly regarded point guard in high school, played just two games during the 2022 national title season due to injury. She has started 48 of 50 games the past two years.

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Hall has started all 50 games the past two seasons, although she’s averaged three fewer points this season (6.2) than a year ago as the Gamecocks became the first undefeated champions in nearly a decade.

“It’s very exciting,” Hall said. “It’s something I’ve thought about, but I try to keep present, stay in the moment.”

The group, which also included North Carolina State forward Saniya Rivers who left after the 2022 title, has been caught among some of the best and brightest Staley has brought into the program.

As freshmen, they played behind between WNBA players Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. Last year, it was 6-foot-7 forward Kamilla Cardoso and dynamic freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley gaining the headlines.

Dawn Staley, their coach, said this group had sacrificed the most for the benefit of the program when all three could’ve followed Rivers’ choice to find success elsewhere.

“Because of their sacrifice, they put us in the position to make history,” Staley said. “You know, I love this class for that. They don’t get the credit, they don’t get the individual credit that they deserve. But they get the national spotlight because they win.”

Handling change

Just four games in, Utah’s year took a sudden turn when coach Lynne Roberts, who had led the team to the past three NCAA Tournaments, left to become coach of the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

The Utes elevated assistant Gavin Petersen and barely missed a beat for another 20-win season and a fourth straight trip to the NCAAs.

The Utes, seeded eighth in the Birmingham 2 Regional, will face ninth-seeded Indiana to start things on Friday.

“This was not on my Bingo card,” Petersen said.

Or anyone elses, although junior forward Gianna Kneepkens thought the transition took place as smoothly as possible. The team knew Petersen’s style and demeanor, so hearing his voice in charge was not a dramatic change.

“It was obviously unexpected and it was a surprise to everybody,” Rhode Island transfer Maye Toure said. “But we already knew Gavin. But also we are a player-led program, so just keep the same mindset.”

Things clicked quickly with the Utes winning nine of their first 10 games under Petersen, including a 78-67 victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 30.

“I think I hit the lottery in that regard in terms of taking over a program where they were ready to go,” Petersen said.

Dog daze

This week, Tennessee Tech’s women’s basketball account on X posted of photo of coach Kim Rosamond and her dogs, Dolly and Dean, with their own personalized NCAA nameplates. The photo also included a third nameplate for Dawn Staley’s dog, Champ.

Champ’s nameplate was next to Staley’s at Thursday’s media session, although he mostly stayed hidden behind the desk.

“I think that was a pretty cool gesture,” Staley said.

“I’m super happy for her and I’m over the top that she would extend such a nice gift to my boy,” she continued.

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