USC looked for Aliyah Boston vs. Maryland. She helped send Gamecocks to Final Four

Aliyah Boston spent 10 minutes searching for her parents in Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Monday after South Carolina’s 86-75 win against Maryland. But throughout the Elite Eight matchup against the Terrapins, it was the Gamecocks who were looking for Boston.

Maryland put South Carolina through a track meet in the first quarter, getting up and down on offense and using a full-court press while on defense.

USC was in need of a stabilizing force to combat Maryland’s blitz. And it was Boston’s composure that helped the Gamecocks punch their ticket to the Final Four in Dallas.

“Aliyah was so poised,” redshirt freshman Raven Johnson said. “Nothing rattled her. You didn’t see Aliyah get frustrated. It didn’t matter if they quadruple-team her or triple-team her, she always keeps her composure.”

Maryland led 21-15 after the first quarter. Boston was on the bench for the final three minutes of that quarter, thinking about ways to impact the game once the second quarter began.

“Just being smart with our passes, understanding that and attacking,” Boston said.

Boston kept a steady flow of scoring throughout the game, with 22 points on 10-14 shooting. The 10 rebounds she added gave her the 82nd double-double of her career.

She got her shots from wherever she wanted — from the post, to the elbow, to the free throw line. Boston used her footwork to step through Terrapin defenders and get easy shots.

In the first, second and third quarters, it was Boston who made South Carolina’s first shot.

“We weren’t going to sit her on the block and just allow people to play physical and guard her with two and three people,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “We moved her around. And because we moved her around, she was a moving target.”

While the Gamecocks made it a point to find Boston, the SEC Player of the Year returned the favor by finding her teammates. The senior finished with five assists for the fourth time in her career — and second time this season.

Boston made it a point to improve her passing ability to expand her game. Her dimes came within the flow of the game, and she surprised herself when looking at the box score.

“These assists are fire,” Boston said with excitement. “But it can’t just be me because my teammates had to hit the shots. And they were just ready to shoot.”

South Carolina is used to seeing those types of performances from Boston. Monday was her fifth game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. She’s recorded 21 such games in her career.

“She’s definitely the type of player that just lets it come to her, no matter how that comes,” senior guard Zia Cooke said. “And we needed her to shoot tonight.”

Boston, the reigning National Player of the Year, hasn’t put up flashy numbers as often as she did last season. The Gamecocks have more scoring depth, and they’ve taken advantage of the stronger bench unit this year.

But when the moment requires it, Boston can deliver a virtuoso performance.

“Aliyah Boston. Her name speaks for itself,” Johnson said.

Boston is averaging 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game in the tournament. She was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Greenville 1 Region.

South Carolina is going to the Final Four for the third season in a row, and Boston has been part of all three runs. A second national title, along with the other individual accolades she’s racked up, would further add to her legacy at South Carolina.

Her game often goes beyond the numbers, but Boston’s productivity was reflected in the stat sheet in Monday’s Elite Eight game.

“She was due,” Staley said with a chuckle. “She was due for one of these big games.”