South Carolina withstands physical test, tops No. 22 Tennessee to solidify SEC lead
The No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team asserted its control of the SEC on Sunday, cruising past No. 22 Tennessee 69-48 for the biggest margin of victory against the Lady Vols in program history.
Going into the matchup, the Gamecocks’ eighth game against a ranked opponent on the year, coach Dawn Staley predicted a physical battle against a Lady Vols squad on the rise under new coach Kellie Harper.
And USC (21-1, 9-0 SEC) got that as UT used its length to scrap away and the officials mostly let the two teams play.
But Carolina’s defense was simply too overwhelming, holding Tennessee to its second-lowest point total on the season. Freshman guard Zia Cooke put up big numbers early and late en route to a 20-point game.
Nine of Cooke’s points came in the first quarter, while USC clamped down to hold the Lady Vols to 25% shooting and six turnovers.
“I saw their length on film,” Staley said. “So we just tried to combat what gives length problem, and that’s speed, and we have that. So we wanted to make sure we were disruptive and now allow their height to be an advantage for them.”
“They weren’t allowing easy passes and they were putting pretty good ball pressure,” Harper said of Carolina’s defense. “We were a little spastic in the first quarter in our offense and obviously turned it over too much to stay in the game with them.”
Offense slowed to a crawl to start the second quarter, as both teams ratcheted the defensive pressure even higher. With six combined turnovers and just seven combined points before the media timeout, the Gamecock guards seemed unable to drive, while Tennessee’s perimeter players were stifled by freshman forward Aliyah Boston any time they went to the paint.
Out of the media timeout, though, senior guard Tyasha Harris drilled a 3-pointer. That seemed to spark USC’s offense, which ripped off a 10-2 run to get some valuable breathing room, capped by a 3-pointer from Cooke, who took a moment at midcourt in celebration, drinking in the roar of the 13,735 in attendance.
A couple key foul calls helped the Lady Vols keep the deficit under 20, and they kept that momentum going into the third quarter, starting off on a 6-0 run and forcing four consecutive misses from the field from the Gamecocks to move within single digits.
Some chippiness started to creep into the game as well, with Tennessee freshman center Tamari Key and Boston locked in a physical battle every time down the floor. When Key picked up her second foul and went to the bench, however, Boston quickly took advantage, drawing fouls underneath the basket and scoring six quick points.
Shortly before the end of the quarter, though, Boston came away from a scrum underneath the basket limping and in obvious discomfort. She left the game and never returned.
Her absence didn’t slow the Gamecocks down — a 9-0 run to end the third put South Carolina’s lead at 20 for the first time all game, as sophomore guard Destanni Henderson contributed seven of those points on her birthday. Into the fourth quarter, Cooke sank a pair of key 3-pointers to keep Tennessee at bay, and Henderson and Boston joined her in double figures.
“I was starting to go a little too fast (in the third quarter) and coach took me out just to give me a breather and slow down and rethink some things. And once I did that, everything felt right back into place like the first half,” Cooke said.
And one
South Carolina forced 21 Tennessee turnovers, the most by a USC opponent in conference play. It was also the first time in league play that the Gamecocks have had 10 or more blocks and steals each.
Personal foul
Boston’s injury wasn’t catastrophic — Staley said if it was the national championship, she would have come back in the game. But for a team that has managed to avoid injuries and lineup changes this year, it was an unsettling moment and something to monitor moving forward.
Tip-in
Freshman forward Laeticia Amihere missed Sunday’s game while playing with the Canadian national team.
South Carolina vs Tennessee basketball box score
TENNESSEE (17-5)—Brown 3-6 2-2 8, Key 0-0 1-2 1, Davis 7-17 4-4 18, Horston 2-9 0-0 4, Massengill 3-6 0-0 6, McCoy 1-1 0-0 2, Kushkituah 0-1 4-4 4, Burrell 2-12 0-0 5, Rennie 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 18-52 11-12 48
SOUTH CAROLINA (21-1)—Boston 3-5 4-4 10, Herbert Harrigan 4-11 1-2 9, Beal 2-4 0-0 4, Cooke 8-20 0-0 20, Harris 2-12 0-0 5, Saxton 1-5 2-4 4, Wesolek 1-2 0-0 2, Grissett 1-2 1-1 3, Henderson 4-8 3-5 12, Thompson 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 26-69 11-16 69
Halftime—South Carolina 38-23. 3-Point Goals—Tennessee 1-7 (Brown 0-1, Davis 0-3, Massengill 0-1, Burrell 1-2), South Carolina 6-22 (Herbert Harrigan 0-1, Cooke 4-8, Harris 1-7, Wesolek 0-1, Henderson 1-5). Assists—Tennessee 8 (Horston 3), South Carolina 16 (Harris 9). Fouled Out—Tennessee Key. Rebounds—Tennessee 37 (Burrell 2-4), South Carolina 39 (Grissett 4-4). Total Fouls—Tennessee 18, South Carolina 14. Technical Fouls—None. A—13,735
When do the Gamecocks play next?
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (21-1, 9-0 SEC) vs. No. 25 Arkansas (17-4, 5-3 SEC)
When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: 1320 AM/107.5 FM in Columbia area
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
