No. 5 South Carolina needs big things from its bigs. Georgia presents next challenge
After the South Carolina women’s basketball team took care of business on the road Monday against Alabama, coach Dawn Staley praised the play of guards Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson, proclaiming them one of the best backcourt duos in the country.
In the frontcourt, Staley knows there’s room for improvement, especially as No. 5 USC on Thursday hosts Georgia, a top-25 team nationally in rebounding rate.
Star sophomore forward Aliyah Boston followed up a career performance last Thursday against Florida by shooting 2-for-10 from the field Monday against the Crimson Tide, pulling down 10 rebounds but also picking up four fouls. Classmate Laeticia Amihere struggled against Bama’s frontcourt as well, going 1 for 7 from the field and turning the ball over five times.
The issue, Staley said ahead of the matchup with Georgia, continues to be layups — high-percentage shots that South Carolina is hitting at a middling rate. According to Her Hoop Stats, the Gamecocks are shooting 47.1% on 2-point shots, 12th in the SEC and 109th nationally. Boston and Amihere are a combined 43.4% on such shots.
“At this point, they have to figure out how to make layups. They got to figure out how to stay on the floor. They got to figure out how to continue to be productive on the offensive side of the ball,” Staley said. “It’s probably more psychological than anything. We have to work through that. But at the same time, what I’m truly proud of, I don’t know if we would have been as sharp as we are with Aliyah and LA not being as productive offensively. So, I mean, it’s a good sign that everybody else can pick up around them.”
Junior forward Victaria Saxton, who has started six games this year and is the most experienced post player on the roster, put up 15 points and six rebounds against Alabama, shooting 54.5% along the way. Her season percentage of 57.9% is second on the team.
Georgia will present a challenge for all three Gamecock forwards. Opponents are shooting just 36.6% on 2-pointers against the Bulldogs this year, 20th nationally and fourth in the conference, per Her Hoop Stats. Anchoring UGA’s presence inside is senior center Jenna Staiti, who is averaging 3 blocks per game and has one of the highest defensive ratings in the country.
That kind of challenge, Staley said, is exactly what a player like Amihere — playing unencumbered by a knee brace for the first time in years after dealing with injuries — needs to improve.
“She is still knocking off the rust. This is her first complete year, and it’s just half a year, without her brace. So she’s figuring things out,” Staley said. “I have the utmost confidence in LA — but fortunately but unfortunately, we have to utilize these games for her to get some experience under her belt. And they’re top-level games where you stand out if you’re not solid and scoring the basketball or you’re late on some defensive assignments. But all in all, I have the utmost confidence.”
NEXT USC BASKETBALL GAME
Who: No. 5 South Carolina (7-1) vs. Georgia (9-1)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: Streaming online on SEC Network Plus via WatchESPN
