PENSACOLA, Fla. — South Carolina needed less than five minutes to take control of its SEC Tournament quarterfinal, and Georgia never found a way back.
The second-seeded Gamecocks beat the 10th-seeded Bulldogs 3-0 on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals, improving to 13-2-3. Georgia finished its season 7-6-6.
Sydney Middaugh, the SEC Newcomer of the Year, opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a long strike from outside the box into the top left corner. It was the quickest goal of the season for South Carolina and her team-high sixth of the year.
The lead doubled early in the second half. A scramble in front of the Georgia goal ended with a handball call that held up after a video review, and senior Cuyler Zulauf converted the penalty for her third goal of the season. Late in the match, senior Emilie Castagna set up fellow senior Autumn Cayelli from just outside the box, and Cayelli finished after the Georgia keeper came off her line.
South Carolina outshot Georgia 10-8 and put six shots on target to the Bulldogs’ one. Fifth-year goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis needed just one save, giving her 21 career shutouts and the team 11 this season.
The three goals matched the total from the tournament’s first four games combined. The Gamecocks play the winner of Alabama and LSU in the semifinals Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
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