I’m No. 1: A’ja Wilson’s late block and steal pushes Gamecocks past UCLA

South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson showed UCLA that she’s the true No. 1.

Wilson’s fourth-quarter block, rebound and pass to Alaina Coates gave the No. 2 Gamecocks just enough room to squeeze past the Bruins and avoid their first loss to an unranked team since the final game of the 2012-13 season. USC survived, 68-65, and began preparing for the third of a five-game road trip.

“We are still working through what our identity is,” coach Dawn Staley said about her team, which advanced to the Final Four last season. “We were a very good basketball team last year. Some of our players are changing roles, and they have to work their way into playing those roles.”

The Bruins, WNIT champions a year ago, have a group of sophomores who were the No. 1 freshman class in America last year. Wilson, the top overall national recruit who spearheaded USC’s No. 2 class, had something to say about that.

The 6-foot-5 sophomore overcame a day where she got the ball inside but struggled to score with 11 points and 10 rebounds, blocking a UCLA shot and throwing to Coates for a bucket and a six-point lead in the fourth quarter’s final minute on Sunday. The Gamecocks held on with free throws – a strength, with only two misses in 16 tries – and the Bruins (2-1) hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“Normally our guards can set things up for us to turn and shoot without thinking,” Coates said. “We weren’t able to do that tonight.”

USC loudly exhaled and prepared for a looming trip to Hawaii for a three-game tournament. The Gamecocks didn’t play anywhere near their A-game but still sparkled in spots.

The performance from the line was a season-best. Tina Roy set a career-high with 17 points, tying for the team lead with Tiffany Mitchell, and tied a career-high with five 3-pointers. The Gamecocks again handily won the rebounding total, 45-31.

They also had 21 turnovers, 14 in the first half. Their transition defense was non-existent. Every time they took a lead, they gave it right back. Their preferred approach of getting the ball inside led to loose balls or missed bunnies.

“We weren’t caught off-guard,” Mitchell said. “We knew they were good. We knew they’d be pretty aggressive, jumpy. We came out and played too fast. The unforced turnovers set us back a bit.”

But they won, avoiding their first loss to an unranked team since Kansas in the 2013 NCAA tournament.

The Gamecocks will spend another day in L.A. and then head to Hawaii, where they’ll play three games in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown. USC’s first game is at 7:30 p.m. Friday against No. 18 Arizona State.

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 6:13 PM.