South Carolina Beats Duke 83-66, Advances to Final

No. 2 South Carolina defeated Duke 83-66 on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Players Era Championship at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, advancing to face No. 4 Texas in Thursday's title game.

The Gamecocks, now 7-0 on the season, pulled away after a slow start, outscoring the Blue Devils 26-12 in the second quarter to build a 40-27 halftime lead. Duke, which fell to 3-4, held a slim 15-14 edge after the first quarter but struggled offensively thereafter, shooting just 35.7 percent from the floor in the second period while committing six turnovers. South Carolina extended its advantage to 19 points early in the third quarter, entering the fourth with a 10-point cushion that Duke could not close to less than eight.

Madina Okot led South Carolina with 23 points and 13 rebounds for her third straight double-double and fifth of the season. Joyce Edwards added 22 points, six rebounds and six assists, marking her third consecutive game with at least 20 points. TaNiya Latson contributed 12 points, and Raven Johnson had 10. The Gamecocks dominated inside, scoring 58 of their points in the paint to Duke's 28, while outrebounding the Blue Devils 43-35. South Carolina shot 1 for 10...