The South Carolina Gamecocks are heading to the Final Four after a big 54-50 win over Duke. The game was close from beginning to end, with both teams fighting hard for the win. Duke head coach Kara Lawson had a message of respect for both the Gamecocks and her team after their loss. But she also was able to point out what they need to improve to go farther next time.

In a postgame press conference, Lawson revealed that Duke’s offense fell short and just couldn’t advance to the next level.

“At this stage in the tournament, the teams are really good,” she said. “So sometimes you’re gonna be down. I think it’s just a part of the 40 minutes… The other guys are good too… I thought our team played really hard. I thought we defended at a high level, at a level well enough to advance. Our offense was not at a level high enough to advance, and certainly late it wasn’t.”

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Lawson reflected on how hard they fought throughout the game.

“What a battle it was,” Lawson said. “Just fighting tooth and nail out there to try and see if we could finish the game on top. Played so hard, dug out of an early hole. Possession game there late in the fourth quarter. Just weren’t able to get it done.”

But despite the loss, she’s proud of her team, she said.

“Throughout the whole game I just had a great sense of pride walking the sidelines and watching them compete…” she said. “Getting into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013…”

The Gamecocks are advancing to the Final Four and will be playing in Tampa on Friday.