South Carolina beat UConn. After short break, it’s back to business in the SEC
When the South Carolina women’s basketball team returns to Colonial Life Arena on Thursday to play Auburn, the atmosphere likely won’t be quite as raucous as it was just a few days earlier.
Few crowds could match the size and intensity of the 18,000 strong who packed the arena Monday to watch the No. 1 Gamecocks take down No. 5 UConn for the first time in program history. On the national stage, USC finally got one against the Huskies, ending an eight-game losing streak and reaffirming its claim to the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Auburn, meanwhile, sits at 2-8 in SEC play, having only beaten fellow lower-tier teams Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. The Tigers are at 125th in RPI and almost certain to miss the NCAA tournament. South Carolina is favored by upwards of 35 points, according to various prediction models.
But after an emotionally-charged victory in as big a game as the UConn contest was, questions inevitably arise about a resulting letdown in focus or energy.
It was a potential issue coach Dawn Staley was cognizant of before and in the immediate aftermath of Connecticut, and something she harped on with her players.
“We talked about that in the locker room, that this can’t really have any bearing on how we move forward. Because we said, whether we won or lost, all of our goals are still in place,” Staley said.
But that didn’t take away from the celebration — Staley gave the team the day off Tuesday and allowed players back on social media despite the usual in-season ban.
“Coaching as long as I’ve coached, rest is sometimes equally as important as getting out there on the floor, and I just think that resting after our starters had to play heavy minutes ... we’re gonna rest them a little bit and refocus and try to get ready for Auburn,” Staley said.
The social media side of it, senior guard Tyasha Harris said, is a sign of Staley’s faith in her team’s maturity. Throughout the season, Staley has praised the business-like approach of her young squad.
“She trusts us with it. I think we do a pretty good job of trying to get it, too, just after wins and stuff like that, so it’s deserving,” Harris said.
The day off Tuesday did mean the Gamecocks only had one day to prepare for Auburn. But Staley left pleased with what she saw Wednesday.
“I think it’s before or after (a big game) is a trap, is a trap game,” Staley said. “But for what they’ve shown me in here today — and this is the only practice that we had to prep for Auburn — is they’re ready to go.”
If there’s one area where Auburn could put stress on South Carolina, especially if the Gamecocks come out sluggish or unfocused, it would be turnovers.
Tigers coach Terri Williams-Flournoy employs an aggressive press defense that hounds opponents for the entirety of the game. This season, teams have been able to break that press and score an average of 71.2 points per game. But the Tigers still rank in the top 75 nationally in opponent turnover rate, as they have for at least the past five years.
“Their defense is their staple. They’re gonna press us for 40 minutes,” Staley said. “They’ll be in the zone after they press, so, you know, just different challenges of seeing the press for 40 minutes. ... If we can break it, it will alleviate some of the pressure. But for what they do, that’s their staple, so they got to stay in it. We got to have our zone offense, we got to have ball movement, we got to take good shots. We can’t over-pass, we got to take rhythm shots.”
When do the Gamecocks play next?
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (23-1, 10-0 SEC) vs. Auburn (8-13, 2-8 SEC)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: 107.5 FM in Columbia area
