(16) Norfolk State [26-6] vs. (1) South Carolina [32-0]
2023 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament - Opening Round
Date/Time	Friday, March 17, 2023 | 2:00 P.M. | Gameday
Location	Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
TV/Streaming	ESPN
Radio	WNSB (HOT) 91.1 FM
Live Stats	nsuspartans.com or click here
NCAA Tournament Bracket	Women's Tournament Bracket
Columbia Regional	[1] South Carolina, [8] South Florida, [9] Marquette, [16] Norfolk State
Norfolk State Game Notes	Game Notes
South Carolina Game Notes	Game Notes
MEAC Postseason Notes	Game Notes
All-Time Series	First Meeting
Norfolk State Tournament History	Second NCAA Tournament Appearance
Previous NCAA Tournament	Lost in First Round [2002 - No. 1 Duke 95, Norfolk State 48]
Social Media	Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

NORFOLK, Va. | The Norfolk State University women's basketball team opens the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament against the defending national champions, South Carolina, on Friday in the first round at Colonial Life Arena.
 
Norfolk State (26-6) reached the NCAA Tournament after winning its second Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women's Basketball Tournament on Saturday with a 56-52 victory against Howard and received the No. 16 seed. South Carolina (32-0) is the lone unbeaten team in the country and received the overall top seed after capturing the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title.
 
The Spartans will be making just their second appearance in the tournament and first since 2002. Norfolk State was a No. 16 seed in 2002, falling in the opening round to Duke, 95-48. NSU cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 on Wednesday, with a No. 24 ranking. Larry Vickers is 43-18 over the past two seasons, including a 22-6 record in the MEAC.
 
Norfolk State was the co-champions last season in the MEAC and fell in the conference title game to Howard. The Spartans accepted an invitation to the WNIT and could not overcome a sluggish second and third quarters in a 54-47 loss to Drexel in the first round.
 
South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in both polls for the entire season, and their 37-straight weeks atop the Associated Press Poll is the second-longest run in the history of that poll. The Gamecocks won their seventh SEC Regular-Season Championship and seventh SEC Tournament crown this season, sweeping both titles in the same season for the fifth time in the last nine campaigns.
 
This is the 19th all-time NCAA Tournament bid for the Gamecocks, who have won two National Championships (2017, 2022) and played in two other Final Fours in the last seven tournaments. South Carolina has played in a total of 12 Sweet 16s and advanced to the Elite Eight six times. The Gamecocks are 40-16 all-time in the event, including a 32-8 mark under head coach Dawn Staley.
 
Last Time Out – Norfolk State
 
The Spartans pushed the win streak to three games and have won nine out of their last 10 games after capturing the 56-52 victory over Howard in the MEAC championship game.
 
Norfolk State overcame a 30-point performance, including eight 3-pointers, by Destiny Howell as Niya Fields sealed the game at the foul line. Fields and Makoye Diawara each poured in 11 points, with Diawara grabbing nine boards.
 
The Spartans scored 24 points in the paint and 17 points off 15 Howard turnovers.
 
Kierra Wheeler was named the tournament's most outstanding player after averaging 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field in three games. She also recorded double-doubles against South Carolina State and North Carolina Central.
 
Norfolk State is averaging 62.3 points, while holding its opponents to 50.0 points per game. In addition, the Spartans hold a 4.1 average in rebounding margin and forcing 22.3 turnovers per game.
 
Camille Downs leads three players in double figures, averaging 11.9 points, while Wheeler and Deja Francis are scoring 11.0 and 10.9 points per game, respectively.
 
National Rankings – Norfolk State

• The Spartans leads the nation in two categories, field goal percentage defense and scoring defense
• Norfolk State is fifth in the NCAA in turnovers forced per game and steals per game
• NSU also ranks sixth in three-point percentage defense
• Camille Downs is fourth in the country in steals and fifth in steals per game

Scouting the Gamecocks
 
South Carolina is the defending national champions and captured its seventh SEC Tournament title with a 74-58 victory over Tennessee on March 5.
 
Against the Lady Vols, South Carolina led 37-31 at the break and pulled down in the final two quarters to earn the victory.
 
Zia Cooke led the way offensively with a game-high 24 points, with five rebounds, and Aliyah Boston, the SEC Tournament MVP, registered 18 points and seven boards. Kamilla Cardosa chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds as USC dominated the paint with 34 points.
 
South Carolina is averaging 81.4 points, while holding its opponents to 51.1 points. In addition, the Gamecocks hold a 20.5 averaging in rebound margin and are forcing 14.0 turnovers per game.
 
Cooke leads three players in double figures, averaging 15.3 points. Boston is posting 13.3 points and Cardoso 10.0 points.
 
National Rankings – South Carolina

• The Gamecocks rank tops in the country in four statistically categories (blocks per game, rebound margin, scoring margin and winning percentage)
• South Carolina is second in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, rebounds (offensively) and rebounds per game
• USC is third in the rankings in rebounds (defensively) and fourth in scoring defense
• The Gamecocks rank seventh in scoring offense, eighth in three-point percentage defense and 10^th in field goal percentage
• Aliyah Boston is sixth in the nation in double-doubles and 18^th in blocks and 19^th in rebounds
• Kamilla Cardoso ranks 19^th in blocks
• Raven Johnson is among the top 20 (18^th) in assist/turnover ratio

What's at Stake …
With a win, Norfolk State shocks the world and takes down the overall top seed. Should that happen, the Spartans would meet the winner of South Florida and Marquette on Sunday.
 
For complete coverage of Norfolk State athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @NSUSpartans (Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.