South Carolina takes first loss in Paradise, falls to Indiana in foul-filled affair
South Carolina women’s basketball got a plate full of fouls and a 71-57 loss to No. 17 Indiana on Thanksgiving, picking up its first defeat of the season at the Paradise Jam on the U.S. Virgin Islands.
USC star freshman forward Aliyah Boston, playing in front of a raucous cheering section in her hometown of St. Thomas, was one of four Gamecocks to pick up four or more fouls in the defeat.
In just 14 minutes of play, Boston scored 10 points, including the game’s first basket as USC took a quick 5-0 lead.
But Indiana, who Carolina coach Dawn Staley noted as a gifted offensive squad before the matchup, was ruthlessly efficient from the field in the first quarter, knocking down eight of 12 field goal attempts, including four of five from 3-point territory.
South Carolina (6-1) kept pace with fastbreak points and offensive rebounds, led by six points from Boston and five points and three assists from senior Tyasha Harris, and held a 22-21 lead after 10 minutes.
Into the second quarter, however, the Hoosiers moved ahead as the Gamecock offense shot just 23.5%, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range.
IU, meanwhile, went on a 9-2 run that slowly unfolded over four minutes and took a 38-31 lead into halftime. Boston had to take a seat midway through that run after picking up a second foul, but still led the team with eight points, while senior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan led the team with three rebounds but also picked up two fouls.
The 10-6 disparity in fouls called against South Carolina seemed to frustrate Staley, who declined to comment in her halftime interview on the FloHoops broadcast on what her team could do better in the second half.
The trouble continued after the break, though, as Boston picked up her third foul less than a minute into the third quarter, then her fourth before the 5:00 minute mark, forcing her back to the bench.
Pounding the ball inside, however, USC went on a stop-and-start, slow-moving 13-4 run over the first 5:43 of the second half to retake the lead, with nine fouls called on both teams over that stretch.
After Indiana briefly retook the lead, the Gamecocks ripped off a quick 7-0 run with four different players scoring to take a 51-47 lead into the final quarter.
But once again, foul trouble hit in the fourth quarter. Harris fouled out with more than five minutes still to play, and Boston fouled out with 3:50 to go. At the same time, the Gamecocks missed 11 of 13 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, while Indiana had 10-for-16 shooting to outscore USC 24-6 down the stretch to secure the win.
And one: Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who like Boston is also from the Caribbean, led the team with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Personal foul: There were no lack of personal fouls to choose from — 41 times whistles stopped play, with an 23-18 divide against the Gamecocks.
Tip-in: South Carolina struggled to shoot from beyond the arc and at the charity stripe — 2-for-19 on 3-pointers, 7-for-15 on free throws.
NEXT
Who: South Carolina vs. Washington State
When: 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 29
Where: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Watch: Streaming on FloHoops.com (subscription required)
This story was originally published November 28, 2019 at 9:46 PM.
