South Carolina basketball records 10th straight SEC win at Kentucky. What we learned
No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball continued on its conference winning streak in a 59-50 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky, on Thursday.
The Gamecocks (22-1, 10-1 SEC) recorded their 10th straight SEC victory, sweeping the season series with Kentucky. The Wildcats (9-11, 2-8 SEC) dropped their eighth of their last nine games on an SEC skid that has them out of the NCAA tournament conversation.
South Carolina led by 18 points with 9:43 to go in the game, but an inexperienced lineup allowed Kentucky to mount a late comeback behind star guard Rhyne Howard. Howard finished with 21 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Dawn Staley put USC’s starters back in once the Wildcats brought the game within seven points, and the Gamecocks fought off the Wildcats’ late surge.
Here’s what we learned about the Gamecocks.
Gamecocks establish dominance in the paint despite offensive lulls
South Carolina didn’t run its most efficient offense of the year early, shooting 36% from the field in the first half. The Gamecocks went 6:52 in the second quarter without a score, committing five turnovers while Kentucky went on a 9-0 run.
The Gamecocks went into halftime with 26 points, just three more than their season-low in a single half. All 26 of USC’s points came in the paint, and 12 of their first-half points were off second-chance baskets. South Carolina finished the first half with 26 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive end, and eight turnovers.
South Carolina scored 46 of its 59 points in the paint Thursday. This continued a trend established in the Gamecocks’ first victory over Kentucky when they scored 54 points in the paint against the Wildcats on Jan. 9.
Starters Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke went a combined 0 of 7 from the field in the first half. Aliyah Boston led the Gamecocks’ in first-half scoring with eight points. Cooke finished the game with 10 points on 4 of 10 from the field.
South Carolina got off to a stronger start in the second half but slowed down late in the fourth quarter, allowing Howard to reach 21 points on 8 of 15 from the field. The Wildcats outscored the Gamecocks 24-17 in the fourth quarter after being held to 26 in the first three quarters combined.
Aliyah Boston records 16th straight double-double
Boston added to her National Player of the Year resume against Kentucky, earning her 16th consecutive double-double early in the third quarter.
The Gamecocks’ star forward finished the game with 14 points on 6 of 13 from the field, 15 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
Boston played a key role in USC’s defensive dominance, which held Kentucky to three single-digit quarters and its lowest scoring output of the season. South Carolina blocked eight shots, grabbed seven steals and out-rebounded the Wildcats 46 to 35, including 20 on the offensive end.
South Carolina struggles from the free-throw line, turnovers
The Gamecocks took 25 trips to the free-throw line against Kentucky and made just 10 of them. South Carolina’s 40% free-throw percentage was its worst of the season. South Carolina went 47.1% from the line against Duke in December.
Kentucky went 8 of 13 from the free-throw line.
South Carolina also struggled with turnovers once again, committing 17 against Kentucky. The Gamecocks have had troubles with ball security throughout the season, averaging 14.3 per game in their first 22 matchups before Thursday.
Next South Carolina women’s basketball game
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (22-1, 10-1 SEC) vs. No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs (17-5, 6-4 SEC)
When: Noon Sunday
Where: Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.
Watch: ESPN2
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 9:09 PM.
