No. 1 Gamecocks rip Razorbacks, jump to 20-0 on record-setting day for Aliyah Boston
It’s halfway through conference play, and No. 1 South Carolina has yet to be defeated.
The Gamecocks (20-0, 8-0 SEC) defeated Arkansas 92-46 Sunday and are now 20-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Both teams combined for 14 free-throw attempts in the first quarter, as the game was physical early on. South Carolina managed to break away thanks to hot shooting and a monstrous rebounding advantage.
The Gamecocks held Arkansas (17-5, 4-3 SEC) to just seven boards in the first half. The Razorbacks came in averaging 41.5 rebounds per game.
USC has now won 36 consecutive games inside Colonial Life Arena, improving to 11-0 at home this season.
South Carolina held Arkansas to its second-lowest scoring output of the season and forced the Razorbacks into 17-of-61 shooting from the floor.
“They didn’t get away from us a whole lot,” USC head coach Dawn Staley said. “I thought we just stayed engaged and just displayed the habits that we’ve created.”
South Carolina won’t play again until next Sunday, when it faces the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
HISTORY IS MADE
Aliyah Boston now has sole ownership of the South Carolina career double-double record.
She grabbed her 73rd double-double on Sunday, passing Sheila Foster for the most all-time. She ended the game with 13 points and 14 rebounds in 23 minutes, exiting in the third quarter after clinching the record.
“Whether it’s 23 minutes or 35 minutes, you’re going to get the same performance,” Staley said.
Boston came into the game averaging 12.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in 24.2 minutes. She also holds a double-double average in her career statistics.
Boston received a standing ovation from fans when her achievement was announced.
“Just keep going, keep attacking, keep rebounding,” Boston said. “But also my teammates, they do a great job of just pushing me no matter what. I just try to help them by rebounding and making sure that I can help them push the ball up the floor.”
COOKE IS UNCONSCIOUS
Zia Cooke led the game in scoring — a habit she’s made this season — with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
She knocked down her first five shots of the game, including three 3-pointers. She knocked down midrange shots, long-range shots and even crashed the offensive glass to get a layup before halftime.
Cooke ran back on defense before one shot fell through, and on another she held the release for a few seconds after the fact.
“I was having fun out there. I just try my best to play like that every time I step on the floor,” Cooke said.
Sunday marked the 10th time this season she led the team in scoring and the fourth time she scored 20 or more points in a game. She leads the team with 39 made 3-pointers, and she shot 4 of 5 from long range Sunday.
HALFWAY THERE
USC is now 8-0 in conference play, with eight such games to go until the SEC tournament. This is the deepest into the season that South Carolina’s started out 20-0 since the 2015-16 season, when it started 22-0.
South Carolina entered Sunday’s game as one of three SEC teams still undefeated in conference play, with LSU and Tennessee being the others.
Heading into this next stretch of the season, the team is looking to improve in each area to maintain its perfect record.
“Just continuing to get better at ball movement and just making sure everybody’s touching the ball because when that happens, we take a great shot,” Boston said. “And even if we don’t make it, we have great rebounders in place. Defensively, just continue to put that pressure on and making sure we rebound the ball, because that’s definitely been a main focus.”
NEXT FOUR SOUTH CAROLINA WBB GAMES
Jan. 29: at Alabama, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Feb. 2: home vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 5: at UConn, noon (Fox)
Feb. 9: at Auburn, 8 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published January 22, 2023 at 4:50 PM.
