No. 1 South Carolina surges to win over Clemson off dominant second half
Aliyah Boston came out of halftime hungry and led South Carolina to a 76-45 win over Clemson on Wednesday night.
While the No. 1 Gamecocks (3-0) led the Tigers 27-17 at the half, the first 20 minutes weren’t ideal. USC shot 32% from the field while committing 13 fouls and 13 turnovers, struggling to put together offensive consistency throughout the first 20 minutes.
Boston fell into early foul trouble against the Tigers (1-2) and didn’t play much of a role in the first half. As a result, she spent six minutes on the floor and totaled just four points.
“I definitely felt that burst of energy,” Boston said after the game. “I felt like in the first half, I didn’t really get to do a lot, and we also needed to bring energy going into the second half because we knew Clemson was going to come out with energy. So I just felt like I might as well contribute in that way.”
Walking onto the court from the locker room after the break, the Gamecocks’ All-American forward appeared rejuvenated.
Boston’s third-quarter surge began with a basket in the first 15 seconds, injecting energy into a raucous crowd of 13,363 fans at South Carolina’s first regular-season home game at Colonial Life Arena this season.
Boston said Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley wasn’t angry after South Carolina’s struggles getting into offensive rhythm in the first half. The halftime message was clear, and the Gamecocks took it to heart.
“She just talked about how we just need to take care of the ball, make sure we’re getting shots in the basket, and how we need to be the aggressor, don’t just let them push us around,” Boston said. “That’s what she said, and then we came out in the second half.”
Displeased after being called for a third foul, Boston channeled that energy. She drove down the floor and knocked down a 3-point shot, opening up a 13-point lead for South Carolina with 8:58 to go in the third quarter.
“Aliyah is a competitor,” Staley said. “She wants to play her very best every time she steps on the floor. We have to do a better job of getting her in position to score. She has to score when she’s in position to score. She’s gotta stay on the floor and not get herself in foul trouble.”
Boston finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds, walking to the bench to a chorus of cheers when she left the game with 6:03 to go in the fourth quarter and the Gamecocks up 64-34.
Her teammates fed off Boston’s energy and never let up. South Carolina scored 27 points in the third quarter off 64% shooting from the field, 57% from the 3-point line. Zia Cooke flashed her explosive ability once again, dropping 12 points in the third quarter alone.
“She’s helpful,” Staley said. “Any time that she’s on the floor, she’s gonna give us something on both sides of the ball that’s on the positive side of things. I’m waiting for her to just break out, because it’s coming.”
The 13 turnovers South Carolina committed in the first half dwindled to just four in the second half, and a 22-point lead over Clemson carried into the eventual 31-point final margin.
South Carolina finished the game shooting 26-54 (48%) and 8-19 (42%) of its 3-point opportunities.
Four Gamecocks scored in double figures against Clemson. Destanni Henderson totaled 16 points, Zia Cooke scored 13, Boston’s 11 and Laeticia Amihere finished with 10.
Clemson shot 29% from the field on Wednesday night and went 24% from the 3-point line. Gabby Elliott led the Tigers with 11 points.
South Carolina’s win ties the all-time series with Clemson at 33-33 and extends its win streak to 11 games over the Gamecocks’ in-state rival.
Next South Carolina basketball game
Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (3-0) vs. Buffalo Bulls (1-0)
Where: Paradise Island, Bahamas (Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis)
When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Stream: FloHoops
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 9:09 PM.
