Gamecocks crush Arkansas, begin SEC play 1-0
It had been 12 days. Dawn Staley expected some rust.
Ten minutes’ worth was enough.
Second-ranked South Carolina shed a frosty first quarter to blow away Arkansas on Sunday, a sizzling second period pacing an 85-32 victory in the SEC opener for each team.
The Gamecocks (13-0, 1-0 SEC) could barely miss in the final three quarters as the Razorbacks (5-9, 0-1) meekly accepted their fate.
“I thought we had to do something to make up for our first-quarter offensive effort,” USC coach Staley said. “I just think (the second) was a well-rounded quarter for us.”
One could say that.
USC was 4-of-18 in the first, ignoring the paint and firing jumpers with little to no concentration. Staley didn’t scream – but pointed out that an inside-out approach doesn’t work if the ball doesn’t go inside first.
“(She told us) keep our head up and keep going, play South Carolina basketball,” A’ja Wilson said. “She just kind of calmed us down, that this is a part of the game and let’s just do us.”
It clicked. The Gamecocks began moving more, passing the ball around and looking for open shots. The flow steadily increased.
The accuracy skyrocketed.
Tiffany Mitchell sank a 3-pointer to start the second and break a 9-9 deadlock. Tina Roy, who missed her first four shots, including three from long range, connected on two straight 3s. Alaina Coates, who barely touched the ball in the first, hammered the Hogs’ post defenders for two lay-ins.
Just like that, the Gamecocks led 22-12. Razorback scorers Jessica Jackson and Melissa Wolff had two fouls each and had to back away, and the game was effectively over.
USC was 14-of-19 in the second for 35 points, its best period of the season. The monsoon of 3s didn’t quit, as Roy stroked a career-high seven 3-pointers and the Gamecocks hit four more.
“To be honest, I really needed that,” said Roy, who at one point trailed Arkansas’ entire output 20-18. “I needed a good shooting game.”
“It was great. Tina’s been shooting the ball extremely well,” Staley said. “I said to her (at practice), ‘I can’t wait till Sunday.’”
The offense sparkled as USC ended the game on a 74-23 run, but the defense was also strong. Staley has been harping on it – and the Gamecocks responded by holding Jackson to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. Melissa Wolff, who scored 20 in her last game and had six of the Razorbacks’ nine first-quarter points, ended with nine.
“Out of all of it, I was impressed with our team’s ability to come out and play with a sense of urgency,” Staley said. “Hopefully, we can just bottle it up and use it on Thursday night when we have to play Vanderbilt.”
NOTE: Senior Asia Dozier did not dress for precautionary reasons after being hit in a recent practice. Dozier was in concussion protocol during Friday’s practice.
TURNING POINT
When Mitchell loaded up from 3 to start the second quarter, most of Colonial Life Arena was covering its eyes. Yet it splashed, as did the next two. After leaving the first quarter with a 9-9 tie, the Gamecocks outscored Arkansas 74-23.
3 POINTS
Star of the game: Roy set a career-high for 3-pointers and scored 21 points. She came within two of tying the school record for single-game 3s, held by Shannon Johnson and Jordan Jones.
The Gamecocks needed her to do something with Dozier out, and after missing her first four shots, Roy got on her shooting game – and played strong defense as well.
Play of the game: Bianca Cuevas showed off her speed once again, driving past Arkansas’ defense and bending her body back to calmly flip the ball off the glass and through.
Stat of the game: The Gamecocks were 11-of-23 from 3 after starting 0-for-4.
FROM THE BASELINE
Loose Colley: Shay Colley’s defection leaves the Gamecocks thin, especially when Dozier missed the game. USC mostly rotated an eight-woman team, with Kaydra Duckett not playing until the fourth quarter and walk-on India Farmer entering later on. Roy will have to play more minutes at the point to replace Colley behind Khadijah Sessions and Cuevas.
Flip the switch: Arkansas is going to struggle this season, but it was still refreshing to see USC dominate an overwhelmed opponent. The Gamecocks have rarely turned it on like that this year and now’s the time to do it, and keep doing it.
Piece of history: The victory gave USC’s men’s and women’s team an SEC-record 26 combined consecutive wins to start a season, which topped Tennessee’s mark of 25, set in 1997-98. While the SEC has rarely treated either Gamecock squad kindly, USC now holds a small but still nice spot in the record books.
UP NEXT
Who: South Carolina at Vanderbilt
When: 9 p.m., Thursday
Where: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: SEC Network
Follow on Twitter at @DCTheState
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ARKANSAS (5-9)
Jackson 4-12 1-2 9, Monk 1-6 0-0 2, Cosper 1-4 0-0 2, Wolff 4-10 1-2 9, Cooley 0-4 2-2 2, Swenson 2-5 0-0 4, Freeman 0-3 0-2 0, Brooks 0-3 0-0 0, Zimmerman 0-1 0-0 0, Danberry 1-5 1-2 4, West 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-54 5-10 32.
SOUTH CAROLINA (13-0)
Sessions 3-4 0-0 7, Wilson 7-12 0-1 14, Roy 7-13 0-0 21, Mitchell 4-9 2-3 12, Coates 4-5 3-3 11, Cuevas 4-8 1-2 10, Duckett 0-0 0-0 0, Imovbioh 4-7 1-2 9, White 0-5 1-2 1, Farmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-63 8-13 85.
3-Point Goals_Arkansas 1-12 (Danberry 1-2, Swenson 0-1, Zimmerman 0-1, Brooks 0-2, Cosper 0-3, Jackson 0-3), South Carolina 11-23 (Roy 7-12, Mitchell 2-5, Sessions 1-1, Cuevas 1-5). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Arkansas 26 (Wolff 7), South Carolina 48 (Coates, Wilson 10). Assists_Arkansas 9 (Cosper 4), South Carolina 18 (Mitchell, Sessions 4). Total Fouls_Arkansas 17, South Carolina 11.
This story was originally published January 3, 2016 at 4:44 PM.