Aliyah Boston has monster game in first night of Sweet 16 action

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(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Aliyah Boston put on a show during South Carolina’s Sweet 16 matchup against UNC, scoring all of the Gamecocks’ points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach down the stretch.

The South Carolina junior finished Friday night with 28 points and 22 rebounds, leading her team to a 69-61 win to advance to the Elite Eight. Boston is just the third player since 2000 with 25 points and 20 rebounds in a Sweet 16 game or later in the NCAA Tournament.

“She’s generational in that way with how her body has transformed,” said North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart of Boston after the game. “She’s relentless.”

South Carolina will take on No. 10 seed Creighton on Sunday, playing for a spot in the Final Four.

No. 2 Texas also advanced to the Elite Eight, downing No. 6 seed Ohio State 66-63 in the Sweet Sixteen on Friday. Joanne Alle-Taylor led the Longhorns in points with 17, shooting seven-for-11 from the field.

Deploying a locked-in defense, Texas was able to hold off the Buckeyes, outshooting Ohio State 47.3 percent to 42.6 percent.

Texas will face off against the No. 1 Stanford on Sunday at 9 pm ET on ESPN in the Elite Eight.

No. 1 seed Stanford marches on after bouncing No. 4 seed Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen Friday night. The Terps fell to an early 26-point deficit before cutting the lead to six in the fourth quarter. The push, however, was too late for Maryland, with Stanford able to hold on for the 72-66 win.

Three Stanford starters finished in the double figures, with Lexie Hull notching 19 points and nine rebounds and Haley Jones adding 17 points and ten rebounds, while Cameron Brink contributed 15 points and eight rebounds.