No. 1 South Carolina throttles Ole Miss in record-setting defensive performance
Before No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball visited Ole Miss on Thursday, Dawn Staley didn’t try to deny it — her Gamecocks were simply superior to the Rebels, the SEC’s worst team.
“Obviously I think we’re the better team that’s gonna take the floor, but you have to play it like you’re the better team,” Staley said. “They’re gonna get up for us, it’s on the road, so we don’t want to leave anything to chance.”
USC certainly didn’t, completely shutting out Ole Miss in the first quarter and never looking back in a 87-32 romp.
The Rebels didn’t score at all until there was less than a minute left in the first half — their two first-half points tied an NCAA record for fewest ever. It was also the first time South Carolina has ever held an opponent scoreless in a quarter since the NCAA moved to a four-quarter system in 2015-16 and the fewest points the Gamecocks have ever allowed in any half.
“Defense is something that we’ve been working on for quite some time,” Staley told reporters after the game. “And although there are areas in which, if you’re just seeing us play for the first time, you probably think we’re a really great defensive team. I think part of that was, Ole Miss missed some shots. They missed some shots early in the basketball game, but I don’t want to take away from some of the good things we’ve done, and I’m proud of that.”
The Gamecocks weren’t quite as sharp on the offensive side of the ball to start, missing six of their first seven shots.
Just over midway through the first quarter, though, senior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan scored eight points in a row in less than two minutes, busting the game open and accounting for most of her 10 points on the night.
From there, seven other USC players scored in the first half, and senior guard Tyasha Harris drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer just before the break. She finished the game with 10 points as well to help lead Carolina’s starters, along with five rebounds and two assists.
Ole Miss missed its first 18 shots and finished the first half shooting 1-for-20. The Rebels also had 15 turnovers compared to 11 rebounds. They ended the game shooting 26% from the field and did not make a 3-pointer, the first time a USC opponent has failed to do so since December 2017.
After halftime, Mississippi found a little rhythm on offense and managed to avoid becoming the lowest-scoring opponent in South Carolina program history — that distinction still belongs to South Carolina State, at 21 points. But even as USC emptied its bench, the lead swelled past 50 and the Gamecocks tied the team record for fewest points allowed in an SEC game.
And one
Freshman forward Laeticia Amihere led all scorers with a career-high 16 points, looking smooth with her jump shot out to the 3-point line while also holding her own down low and creating space for layups.
Personal foul
The eye-popping defensive numbers will draw the most attention, and rightfully so, but the offense looked a little out of sync early, shooting 43% from the field in the first half against an over-matched opponent.
Tip-in
For the third time all year and the first time in SEC play, every South Carolina player scored, with reserves Olivia Thompson and Elysa Wesolek each draining a 3-pointer.
WHEN DO THE GAMECOCKS PLAY NEXT?
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (20-1, 8-0 SEC) vs. No. 22 Tennessee (17-4, 7-1 SEC)
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: 1320 AM/107.5 FM in Columbia area
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 9:40 PM.
