Top-seeded South Carolina women's basketball advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with a 94-68 win over Oklahoma on Saturday, fueled by a standout game from Ta’Niya Latson.

Latson scored 28 points in her first Sweet 16 appearance, helping the Gamecocks (34-3) continue their dominant postseason run. Raven Johnson added 18 points as South Carolina built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never lost control.

After the game, coach Dawn Staley had a lighthearted reaction to Latson’s scoring while also speaking on her impact and growth within the program. Latson scored 30 in the second round last season.

“I mean, it's impressive, but … she's shortchanging us. She only had … what 28? she couldn't get two more points,” Staley said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Matt Dowell of WACH Fox. “But I'm happy for tonight … she knows what she wanted, from her experience here in South Carolina, she made a commitment to it.”

Latson helped spark South Carolina’s early momentum, scoring eight of the team’s first 10 points as the Gamecocks opened on a 10-0 run. She finished the first half with 18 points, helping build a 47-28 lead at the break.

Joyce Edwards added eight points and nine rebounds in the second half, and the Gamecocks limited any comeback attempt by Oklahoma (26-8).

Staley also emphasized the program’s long-term support for Latson and its goals for her future.

“I hope … she understands that we only want the best for her. We want her to experience incredible things, including the Final Four, including, you know, getting drafted in the WNBA at a at a high clip, and hoping she could reap the benefits off of that new collective bargaining agreement,” Staley said.

South Carolina will face TCU on Monday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Reporting by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press contributed to this article.