No. 2 Gamecocks still working on defense as they resume season

Even when South Carolina began to stockpile elite recruits, coach Dawn Staley made it clear that scoring ability was secondary to defense.

Having good shooters and strong post players was great, but if a defense could pick off passes at halfcourt to where guards could sprint and score, that is what could turn the Gamecocks from good to stupendous.

USC is ranked second and 8-0, but Staley still sees work to do. While the nonconference competition has been much stronger than last year, there are still too many points being put on the board – for the opponent.

“That’s the focus,” said Staley leading up to Sunday’s home game against Winthrop. “I think that’s going to be the key for us, just being able to get some easy buckets and not put so much pressure on our half-court offense.”

USC held opponents to 54.1 points per game last year, and a 34.9 shooting percentage. While this year’s percentage is better (34.6), the Gamecocks are giving up 58.1 points per game.

Competition has played a role. Last year, USC played two top-25 opponents before it began SEC play. This year, the Gamecocks have played three in their first eight games.

New sports performance coach Katie Fowler has been training the Gamecocks to run and showcase their speed, but USC hasn’t been able to consistently do it. It’s why most practices since the Gamecocks returned from their West Coast swing have been focusing on guards spacing themselves along the half-court line, able to limit, if not flip, fast breaks.

“We concentrate on early offense – score when given the opportunity,” Staley said. “Khadijah (Sessions) is doing a great job of pushing the tempo for us, and we’ve got to run with her and make defenses pay early and often.”

“I just have to push the ball,” Sessions said. “It starts with me. If I can put a lot of pressure on the point guard, it causes the offense to get off the train tracks.”

The Gamecocks popped Duke with their inside game early, and a defensive surge – A’ja Wilson blocking shots, Sessions and Bianca Cuevas rebounding and pushing the pace – sealed the game. USC is looking for that all the time.

“(Staley’s) picked her intensity up, coaching-wise, and all the coaches have really been focusing individually on getting stops,” Sessions said. “We’re doing a lot more watching film and going through a lot more game situations in practice.”