Cardoso, Johnson help South Carolina remain perfect with 79-75 win over spirited Indiana in Sweet 16

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With South Carolina's perfect season on the line, coach Dawn Staley had total faith that Raven Johnson would make the necessary plays for her team.

Johnson did just that, hitting a huge 3-pointer in the final minute to help the top-seeded Gamecocks remain unbeaten with a 79-75 over Indiana on Friday that moved them into the Albany 1 Regional Final of the women's NCAA Tournament.

“I saw Raven’s eyes coming down the stretch as our lead was diminishing and I knew she wasn’t going to let us lose,” Staley said. “She was going to do something. She had two big baskets.”

Johnson's 3 came after South Carolina nearly blew a 22-point lead in the second half. The advantage was down to 74-72 when Staley called timeout to set up a play that was supposed to go to Kamilla Cardoso, who led the team with 22 points. The Gamecocks' star center was being double-teamed when she caught the ball, so she passed it to Johnson for the 3.

“I was open, and all I could think was, let it go. I don’t want to lose,” said Johnson, who scored 14 points. “Just going from last year. Nobody can sag off me this year, and I take that very personal. And I get in the gym every day and put up reps and I think that’s where it comes from, the confidence.”

Last season, Iowa sagged off Johnson in the Final Four and the strategy paid off as the Hawkeyes ended South Carolina’s undefeated season. Johnson got in the gym and became a better 3-pointer shooter this season, hitting 8% more of her shots from behind the arc.

“I see the work that Raven puts in every single day. Every single day she gets shots up, before or after practice,” Staley said. “They have a quota to meet each and every day. I see that before. I see that after. So I don’t think about last year. I don’t think about any of that when it comes to Raven.”

South Carolina is three wins away from completing the 10th perfect season in NCAA Division I women's basketball history. Next up for the Gamecocks is third-seeded Oregon State, which knocked off Notre Dame earlier Friday.

The Gamecocks (35-0) had run through their first two games in March Madness, winning by 52 and 47. They faced a much bigger challenge from fourth-seeded Indiana (26-6).

South Carolina built a 22-point lead in the third quarter before Indiana got going behind Sydney Parrish, who led the team with 21 points.

The Hoosiers, who were trying to pull off the biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, got within 74-72 on Mackenzie Holmes' layup with 1:08 left. That's when Johnson responded with her 3.

Holmes then hit another layup to make it 77-74.

The Gamecocks hit only two of four free throws in the final 21 seconds to leave the door open for a miraculous comeback, but Indiana couldn't convert on the offensive end, missing two contested 3-pointers in the final 15 seconds.

“We’re very disappointed. Felt like if we had a few more minutes the outcome would be a little different for us tonight,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said.

South Carolina looked like it was going to steamroll another opponent. It led 34-28 midway through the second quarter before going on a 15-4 run to close the half up 49-32. All but two of those points came on the inside.

On the defensive end, Cardoso bottled up Holmes. She missed her first five shots before finally hitting a runner with less than a minute to go in the half. Holmes finished with 12 points.

The lead ballooned to 22 points early in the third quarter before the Hoosiers used a 10-0 run to get within 61-50 with just over three minutes left in the period. After the Gamecocks extended the advantage back to 15, Indiana closed within 65-55 at the end of the period.

KEY STATS

Behind Cardoso, the Gamecocks outscored the Hoosiers 42-26 in the paint. South Carolina's bench outscored Indiana's 23-2.

UP NEXT

South Carolina plays Oregon State, which it beat 59-42 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament three years ago.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes (54) puts up a shot against South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (10) during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, right, drives against Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes (54) during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Indiana players react on the bench during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the South Carolina during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (10) and forward Chloe Kitts (21) block a shot attempt by Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes (54) during the first half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) reacts during the first half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the Indiana during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Indiana players react during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game against the South Carolina during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12), forward Chloe Kitts (21), forward Sania Feagin (20) and guard Tessa Johnson (5) react during the second half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

South Carolina guard Raven Johnson (25) drives around Indiana guard Yarden Garzon (12) during the first half of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) pushes the ball down court on a fast break against South Carolina guard Bree Hall (23) during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

Indiana guard Sara Scalia (14) drives against South Carolina guard Bree Hall (23) during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) tries to strip the ball from Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil (22) during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Indiana forward Lilly Meister (52) drives the ball against South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts (21) and guard Bree Hall (23) during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins (2) and Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes (54) scramble for a loose ball during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (10) puts up a shot against Indiana guard Sydney Parrish (33) and forward Mackenzie Holmes (54) during the first quarter of a Sweet Sixteen round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rallied in afternoon trading on Wall Street Friday following a stronger-than-expected report on the U.S. job market.

The S&P 500 gained 1.5%, putting the index on track for a ninth straight day of gains. That would mark the longest winning streak for the benchmark index in two decades.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 571 points, or 1.4%, as of 1:10 p.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.6%.

The gains were broad. Roughly 90% of stocks and every sector in the S&P 500 advanced. Technology stocks were among the companies doing the heaviest lifting. Microsoft rose2.7% and Nvidia rose 2.2%. Apple, however, fell 4.2% after the iPhone maker estimated that tariffs will cost it $900 million.

Banks and other financial companies also made solid gains. JPMorgan Chase rose 2.5% and Visa jumped 1.5%.

Employers added 177,000 jobs in April. That marks a slowdown in hiring from March, but it was solidly better than economists anticipated. However, the latest job figures don’t yet reflect the effects on the economy of President Donald Trump’s across-the-board tariffs against America’s trading partners. Many of the more severe tariffs that were supposed to go into effect in April were delayed by three months, with the notable exception of tariffs against China.

“We’ve already seen how financial markets will react if the administration moves forward with their initial tariff plan, so unless they take a different tack in July when the 90-day pause expires, we will see market action similar to the first week of April,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management.

The S&P 500 slumped 9.1% during the first week of April as Trump announced a major escalation of his trade war with more tariffs. The market has now clawed back its losses since then, helped by a string of resilient earnings reports from U.S. companies, hopes for de-escalation of trade tensions with China and expectations that the Federal Reserve will still be able to cut rates a few times this year.

The job market is being closely watched for signs of stress amid trade war tensions. Strong employment has helped fuel solid consumer spending and economic growth over the last few years. Economists are now worried about the impact that taxes on imports will have on consumers and businesses, especially about how higher costs will hurt hiring and spending.

The economy is already showing signs of stress. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.3% annual pace during the first quarter of the year. It was slowed by a surge in imports as businesses tried to get ahead of Trump’s tariffs.

The current round of tariffs and the on-again-off-again nature of Trump’s policy has overshadowed planning for businesses and households. Companies have been cutting and withdrawing financial forecasts because of the uncertainty over how much tariffs will cost them and how much they will squeeze consumers and sap spending.

Hopes remain that Trump will roll back some of his tariffs after negotiating trade deals with other countries. China has been a key target, with tariffs of 145%. Its Commerce Ministry said Beijing is evaluating overtures from the U.S. regarding the tariffs.

Investors had a relatively quiet day of earnings reports following a busy week. Exxon Mobil fell 0.2% after reporting its lowest first-quarter profit in years. Rival Chevron rose 1.1% after it also reported its smallest first-quarter profit in years.

Falling crude oil prices have weighed on the sector. Crude oil prices in the U.S. are down about 18% for the year. They fell below $60 per barrel this week, which is a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit.

Block slumped 20.7% after reporting a sharp drop in first-quarter profit that fell short of analysts' forecasts. The financial technology company behind Cash App cited a pullback in consumer spending on travel and other discretionary items as a key reason for the results.

Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.32% from 4.22% late Thursday.

Trader Edward Curran works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Rob Taylor works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Patrick King works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader James Matthews, left, and specialist James Denaro work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Glenn Carell, left, and trader Mathias Roberts, center, work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Alex Weitzman works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Philip Finale, left, and trader Robert Charmak work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Niall Pawa works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Michael Pistillo, left, and trader Fred Demarco work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialists Meric Greenbaum, left, and Philip Finale confer on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist James Denaro works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Gregg Maloney works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)