South Carolina still perfect with 79-75 win over Indiana

ALBANY, N.Y. >> Kamilla Cardoso scored 22 points and top-seeded, unbeaten South Carolina held off a spirited Indiana rally to win and advance to the Albany 1 Regional Final of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina is three wins away from completing the 10th perfect season in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history. Next up for the Gamecocks is third-seeded Oregon State.

Coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks (35-0) had run through their first two games in March Madness, winning by 52 and 47. They faced a much bigger challenge from fourth-seeded Indiana (26-6).

South Carolina built a 22-point lead in the third quarter before Indiana got going behind Sydney Parrish, who led the team with 21 points.

The Hoosiers, who were trying to pull off the biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, got within 74-72 on Mackenzie Holmes’ layup with 1:08 left.

N.C. STATE 77, STANFORD 67>> Aziaha James had 29 points and third-seeded North Carolina State earned its third trip to the women’s Elite Eight with a victory over second-seeded Stanford in Portland, Ore. .

Saniya Rivers added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Wolfpack (30-6), who fell behind by 10 points but rallied in the third quarter and led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter.

AP All-American Cameron Brink fouled out with 8:10 left in the game. She finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in her final game for Stanford (30-6).

Kiki Iriafen led the Cardinal with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Stanford, under Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer, was vying for its 23rd appearance in the Elite Eight. They had reached that milestone in five of the last seven years.

— The Associated Press