NEW YORK _ South Carolina will wake up one more morning in The City That Never Sleeps.
Although Columbia, S.C., bursting with pride over its now-Elite Eight basketball team, is challenging New York for its nickname.
The Gamecocks rocked Baylor, 70-50, on Friday and took their NCAA Tournament ride to the farthest spot in program history, riding an 18-0 first-half offensive burst and their devastating defense to stand one win from the Final Four. The Bears (27-8), trying to use their superior height and inside presence to their advantage, were undone by a smaller, quicker, nastier squad.
"We've been doing it all season," said star Sindarius Thornwell, who scored 24 points. "Now, y'all gave us the stage to do it, and we're just showcasing what we've been doing all season."
The Gamecocks (25-10) surrounded All-American Johnathan Motley and tried to pressure every touch he got, holding him to 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Seven-footer Jo Lual-Acuil didn't have much room either, and when South Carolina's first-half defense began collecting turnovers, South Carolina sprinted ahead.
Baylor didn't score for 7:37 as the Gamecocks' offense found its rhythm. South Carolina ran off 18 straight points after trailing 15-13 and took a 37-22 lead into the break.
South Carolina coach Frank Martin cautioned his team at the half about not letting up, about finishing the job it started. The Gamecocks responded by taking a 21-point lead, and while Baylor ran off 10 straight points to get back in the game, South Carolina still had its biggest gun ready to fire.
Thornwell, who started 1 of 6 from the field, banged a 3-pointer from the left wing to stop the run and fellow senior Duane Notice did the same, after Maik Kotsar found him following an offensive rebound. The lead restored to 17 and the crowd back into it, the Gamecocks finished the final nine minutes on a tear.
"When they went on their run, that TV timeout happened," Thornwell said. "That's when we settled down. I hit a three and Duane hit a three. We just had to finish the game then."
They did and are in uncharted waters, although Martin has been here before. The coach mentioned how he wouldn't make the same mistake he did in 2010 by trying to lightly practice before an Elite Eight game.
The way the Gamecocks are playing defense, he doesn't need to limit anything.
"We were on point defensively today," Martin said. "It's the best defensive team I've coached in college basketball."
South Carolina held Baylor to 30.4 percent shooting and outrebounded the Bears by three. The Bears had 16 turnovers that became 11 South Carolina points.
South Carolina will play the Wisconsin-Florida winner on Sunday at a time to be determined. The Gamecocks split two games with the Gators this season, each team winning on its home court.
It's the biggest game in program history, much like Friday was. South Carolina has refused to bow to the pressure of the moment over the past two weeks; will that change now that the Final Four is a very real possibility?
"We're not done yet. We don't want to just be here," said center Chris Silva, who finished with 12 points. "We want to be beyond great. We want to keep winning."
