"They are beatable": College basketball fans weigh in on intense Sweet 16 clash between South Carolina and Indiana 

The No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks looked frail against No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, as the SEC school prevailed by a thin margin, 79-75 over the Big Ten team. The victory ensured the Gamecocks advanced to the Elite Eight, but the Sweet 16 performance seemingly raised more questions than answers for some fans.

Center Kamilla Cardoso was the most important player for South Carolina tonight, scoring 22 points with four assists and seven rebounds. Guard Sydney Parrish scored 21 points for the Hoosiers with two assists and two rebounds.

Some fans believe that the Gamecocks' great regular season performances had more to do with the state of play in the SEC, than some true strengths.

One fan on X/Twitter said:

At one point, South Carolina players were dancing on the court while leading by 17 points:

Others thought that Indiana shot itself in the foot:

Others were confident about their prospects:

Cardoso seems to be South Carolina's secret weapon for this fan:

Winning is all that matters in the end pointed out this fan:

Sydney Parrish had herself a game, despite the final result:

This fan continues to believe:

Another believes that South Carolina is indeed "beatable":

Dawn Staley on South Carolina's victory and mistakes

South Carolina's head coach Dawn Staley understood that what happened tonight could as easily have turned into disaster for her and her players. She admitted as much in a brief post-game statement she gave to several outlets, including Fox Carolina:

"I mean you don't allow a 3-point shooting team to shoot a barrage of 3s and get themselves back in the lead, back into the game, make it a one possesion game... At this point in the year is just about winning and advancing, surviving and advancing."

She also mentioned that her team thankfully and luckily had created a big enough lead for them to be able to come back from a low point in the game. She did concede that such mistakes are normal in younger teams, but that she is grateful to count on a core of seasoned players.

South Carolina will face No. 3 Oregon State Beavers in the next round on Sunday.

Do you think the South Carolina Gamecocks could go all the way this season? Or do you believe they could falter in the Elite Eight round? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.