COLUMBIA – There was a box of tissues on the table where Presbyterian was conducting its postgame news conference after a 52-point loss in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

No need for Kleenex.

The Blue Hose smiled all the way through their postseason journey and that included during a 91-39 defeat Friday against No. 1 overall seed South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena.

Presbyterian came here after winning the Big South Conference tournament from a No. 5 seed, securing the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth, and then beat Sacred Heart in a First Four game to earn a shot at undefeated South Carolina on its home court.

“Everyone says to enjoy the process and to enjoy the experience. And that was definitely what we wanted to do,” Blue Hose guard Tilda Sjokvist said. “Obviously, it’s not fun to lose any time. But if you are going to do it, you might as well do it against the No. 1 seed.”

The Blue Hose (21-15) were down 48-25 at halftime. While warming up for the second half, there were some smiles and waves to people they recognized in the crowd. Sjokvist, 5-foot-7, had a shot blocked into the Presbyterian pep band. She still had a head-shaking grin as she took the ball out of bounds.

“I thought it was fun,” Sjokvist said.

Presbyterian was scrappy and serious throughout, to be clear. But at the same time, they were able to keep things in perspective and appreciate everything, bad with the good.

“We didn’t come in expecting to lose,” Presbyterian coach Alaura Sharp said. “Once we got to a certain point and it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, I said, ‘Let’s just have some fun. Let’s make plays. Let’s see if we can create some highlights to finish the season the right way.'”

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Sharp called timeout with 1:39 left to take out seniors Bryanna Brady and Nuria Cunill. Emotional hugs were waiting for both on the sideline. But even those tears were brief.

“It's a proud feeling. We definitely put PC out there,” said Brady, who was unexpectedly granted a sixth year of eligibility. “I think it just brings the community closer together.”

“We wanted to make sure everybody knows how we play, how we scrap, and what really represents a PC basketball player," Sharp said. "That’s why we’re here. That’s why we survived. It’s why we advanced. It’s why we won three games in a row as a 5 seed in our conference. Toughness, grit and resilient spirit. That’s what we want our program to be about. It's about family and relationships. They really support each other. When you’re around them, you start experiencing the fun and the joy.”

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Presbyterian still smiling in March Madness loss to South Carolina