How South Carolina’s Destanni Henderson turned in strong performance in win at UGA
Destanni Henderson felt her confidence grow in Athens.
The Gamecocks’ senior point guard saw 6 of her 10 shots drop into the basket as she contributed 15 points to No. 1 South Carolina’s 72-54 victory over No. 17 Georgia on Sunday in Stegeman Coliseum.
“I just felt like I was more aggressive, just ready when I caught the ball,” Henderson said. “(I) just looked to attack and shoot the shots I needed. Once you see them going in, you feel a little more confident.”
Henderson played a primary role in the Gamecocks’ staggering first-half dominance at Georgia (17-7, 6-6 SEC), when USC got out to a 30-point lead with 4:18 to go in the second quarter.
South Carolina (23-1, 11-1 SEC) finished the first half making 63% (19 of 30) of its shots. Henderson was 4 of 5 from the field in the first 20 minutes, including a perfect 2 of 2 from behind the 3-point line, helping the Gamecocks head into halftime with a 51-25 lead over Georgia.
“We just practiced really good together, and I feel that carried on into the game,” Henderson said. “We just came out strong, took the shots that were needed and didn’t hesitate.”
Head coach Dawn Staley gave Henderson credit for controlling the Gamecocks’ tempo against Georgia. Staley said Henderson has been working to keep opponents off balance and create opportunities for good shots.
Staley said she’s also been asking Henderson to be more aggressive when shooting the basketball. On Sunday, the coach saw Henderson progress.
“She could shoot it, she could drive it, and she picked a great time to really be aggressive in that department,” Staley said. “If she’s shooting it well, you can’t double, triple and play off of our perimeter as much. I thought she did a great job of doing that.”
Henderson’s final stat line included just one assist, but Staley said she would credit Henderson with “hockey assists” — counted only in the sport of hockey as a pass that led to the pass that led to a score.
“It’s the tempo,” Staley said. “It’s calling the right plays, putting people in position. She didn’t get the assists, but she probably got the hockey assists with all the intangible stuff she did to set our offense up.”
Henderson hadn’t lit up the stat sheet recently. Before the Georgia game, the last time she scored in double figures (15 points) was Jan. 13 against Texas A&M.
Aside from missing three games in December with an injury, Henderson had been a consistent presence for USC in non-conference play through November and December. She averaged 12.8 points per game in the Gamecocks’ 12 games before SEC action started Dec. 30, but has dropped to 9.1 points against conference opponents.
The tide is starting to change for Henderson, though, who left Athens feeling the best she’s felt in a while.
“I feel like that was one of my best games in a little minute,” she said.
NEXT SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (23-1, 11-1 SEC) vs. Auburn Tigers (9-13, 1-10 SEC)
When: Thursday at 7 p.m.
Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
Watch: SEC Network
This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
