Opening act complete: No. 1 South Carolina WBB ousts Texas A&M at SEC Tournament
The Gamecocks made their postseason debut at their home away from home Friday afternoon. Surrounded by an enthusiastic sea of garnet and black (peppered with orange Tennessee fans eager for their own team’s 2:30 p.m. tip-off), South Carolina emerged victorious.
One game down.
No. 1 USC defeated Texas A&M 79-68 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Gamecocks are now just two wins away from their eighth tournament title under coach Dawn Staley.
“Hopefully we knocked the rust off, we can get back to some better basketball,” Staley said.
USC started its usual first four Friday: guards Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Raven Johnson along with forward Chloe Kitts and center Kamilla Cardoso. Three Gamecocks scored in double digits: Cardoso (17), Tessa Johnson (13) and Ashlyn Watkins (10).
South Carolina will return to Bon Secours for the semifinals Saturday to take on No. 5 seed Tennessee.
Tessa Johnson, Kamilla Cardoso shine
When South Carolina struggled to get things going on offense, Tessa Johnson took it upon herself to make something happen.
She had a game-high nine points at halftime. When the Gamecocks struggled to get to the rim, Johnson attacked the basket. When shots didn’t fall, she got to the free-throw line and made the most of the opportunity. In the first half, she sank two baskets and connected on all four of her free- throw attempts. Johnson also recorded her first career block.
“I was trying to be like Ashlyn Watkins,” Johnson said, smiling, of the block.
“She OK,” Watkins quipped back with a laugh.
Cardoso took over in the second half, scoring eight points in the third quarter after a six-point first-half outing. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year ended the game with 17 points.
Turnover woes
The Gamecocks entered Friday’s game averaging 13.1 turnovers per contest. They exceeded that number by halftime, having turned the ball over 15 times in the first two quarters.
Texas A&M snagged five possessions from South Carolina, meaning 10 of USC’s turnovers were entirely self-inflicted. Errant passes and ill-aimed attempts to keep the ball in bounds kept South Carolina in trouble. The Aggies converted the Gamecocks’ 15 turnovers to 7 points.
USC went on to give up four possessions in the third quarter and five in the fourth, making for a season-high 24 in the game. Texas A&M ended the day having scored 16 points off South Carolina turnovers.
“We were trying to go back to how we played in regular season,” Tessa Johnson said. “I mean, we were just playing basketball. It wasn’t the greatest basketball, but we were finding our teammates. I know they were guarding, denying the wings, but we had to adjust to it.”
First-half defense makes a difference
USC’s defense proved huge against Texas A&M. The Gamecocks suffocated the Aggies, keeping them well under 30% shooting in each of the first two quarters (28.6% in the first and 25% in the second, making for a first-half field goal percentage of 26.7%).
Guards Hall and Tessa Johnson did an excellent job locking up Texas A&M’s ball handlers. At one point in the first half, Hall’s persistent guarding solicited claps and fist pumps from assistant coaches Jolette Law and Khadijah Sessions, a stank face from Paopao and a crying emote from MiLaysia Fulwiley on the bench.
Texas A&M shot 53.3% in the third quarter, but South Carolina’s lead grew until the period’s final minutes. The Gamecocks were able to up their productivity by holding onto the ball a bit better.
“Slowly we started playing the way we needed to play, and then Texas A&M started to just force us to do things we didn’t want to do,” Staley said.
Depth on display
Once again, South Carolina’s depth overpowered its opponent.
The Gamecocks did not play perfect basketball Friday. Far from it. But their bench, which went into the Texas A&M game responsible for 33.2 points per contest, dominated the Aggies’ backups.
USC’s bench unit scored 13 points to Texas A&M’s three. By game’s end, South Carolina’s bench had 35 points to Texas A&M’s 12.
SEC Tournament schedule
- Who: South Carolina vs. Tennessee
- When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- TV: ESPNU
This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 2:02 PM.
