No. 1 Gamecocks drop hammer on Auburn to improve to 15-0. Here’s what we learned
No. 1 South Carolina maintained its perfect record this season in a big way Thursday.
The Gamecocks secured a convincing victory against Auburn at Colonial Life Arena, beating the Tigers 94-42.
South Carolina (15-0, 3-0 SEC) scored less than five seconds into the game, as Aliyah Boston passed it to Zia Cooke for the driving layup after the opening tip.
The team got out to a 14-4 start by the first media timeout and didn’t let up after that. USC led 52-20 at the half, the third time it scored 50 or more points in the first half.
The team managed to get out in transition throughout the game and convert on layup attempts. In the halfcourt offense, Auburn (10-5, 0-3 SEC) had no answers for the Gamecocks’ ability to get inside. South Carolina got easy looks in the paint, scoring 50 points from there on Thursday.
Four players scored in double figures for USC.
Dawn Staley’s crew will travel for the first of a two-game road trip, facing Mississippi State at 1 p.m. Sunday.
BOSTON BACK ON TRACK
After a quiet start to SEC play, the reigning National Player of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player left her mark on Thursday’s game.
Boston finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and three assists. She even made her first 3-pointer of the season in the first quarter from the top of the key.
She faced a lot of defensive pressure Monday against Georgia, even drawing quadruple-teams at times. The Tigers weren’t able to contain her like the Bulldogs did, and she found ways to get her usual looks inside.
“I thought we made a concerted effort to get her the ball, to get all of our post players the ball,” Staley said. “It worked tonight, they didn’t triple- and double-team us at times.”
Boston has also blocked seven shots in conference play so far.
POST PRESENCE
Along with Boston’s production, Victaria Saxton and Kamilla Cardoso also produced strong games from the post spots.
Cardoso scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds in 15 minutes. She’s been a focal point for the team’s game plan for most of this season, as she’s second in rebounds and third in points for USC.
Saxton added a season-high 12 points and five rebounds. She was aggressive with her shot to open the game and helped the Gamecocks secure the early lead. Saxton left the game in the second half after getting a cut on her nose, and she remained on the sideline with the big lead.
Staley said Saxton is finding a rhythm now, and noted that she had a slow start to last season. Saxton is in her fifth year with the team and has now started in 83 games.
“I think she’s coming up to form,” Staley said. “The Victaria that we’re used to seeing is able to just make some layups. She’s really an efficient player for us. We gave her a lot more opportunities to score as well. So hopefully it boosts her confidence.”
The trio of Boston, Saxton and Cardoso combined for 16-of-21 shooting from the field.
“I thought our guards did a great job of getting them the ball where there wasn’t a crowd in there, where they could just maneuver against one person quickly,” Staley said.
BALL MOVEMENT
South Carolina finished with a season-high 25 assists on its 36 made field goals against Auburn.
Raven Johnson led the team with seven assists, and Kierra Fletcher added a season-high five dimes. Both players have alternated minutes at the point guard spot, with Fletcher starting in 13 of USC’s 15 games.
The five assists were the most for Fletcher since March 2021.
“I think everyone got a piece of it,” Fletcher said about the ball movement. “Looking into the paint when there was one-on-ones in the post, just moving the ball, extra passes, ‘one mores’ to get great shots. I think a lot of us passed up good shots for better shots. And that was the key for us today.”
Fletcher said she marvels at Johnson’s passing ability when watching in practice. She also said the guards manage to make each other better, as Fletcher is able to learn from the redshirt freshman.
“I’m honestly always looking at the way that she’s playing sometimes as well as she does with me,” Fletcher said. “I think that both of us bring different dynamics to this team and it just gels really well.”
NEXT FOUR SOUTH CAROLINA WBB GAMES
Sunday: at Mississippi State, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Thursday: at Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Jan. 15: home vs. Missouri, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 19: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 8:47 PM.
