Gamecocks ease past Auburn into SEC tournament semis

South Carolina won. The Gamecocks won, and advanced to their third straight SEC tournament semifinal.

There’s at least time to work on the other stuff.

“You have to feel good about your performances,” coach Dawn Staley said after USC beat Auburn 57-48 Friday. “You want to try and correct the things we didn’t do so well. Knowing our team, they understood what took place.”

What that was was a very strong defensive performance that erased a 9-3 first-quarter Auburn lead. It was defense picking up a ragged offense for easier looks and buckets, propelling USC to a 32-16 halftime lead that never got closer than nine.

It also was really sloppy, often sleepy and occasionally sluggish. The Gamecocks (29-1) couldn’t get an inside shot to fall, producing a cringe-worthy 13-of-39 showing from inside the 3-point line, and weren’t much better from outside (3-of-12). They had as many turnovers as field goals, their greatest strengths were nearly neutralized and it took the Tigers (19-12) getting within nine late for USC to wake from its second-half slog.

It wasn’t the look of a team that’s expected to waltz to a second straight SEC tournament championship after a historical 16-0 regular season. But Staley wasn’t going to harp too much on it – it was a first game in a strange location and USC played the second half without its starting point guard.

“From a defensive standpoint, I like what we’re doing,” she said.

The Gamecocks blocked eight shots and had 10 steals, turning 15 Auburn turnovers into 18 points. That’s what triggered the early run, when the Gamecocks scored nine straight after the Tigers took the lead.

After that, though, nothing came easy. SEC Player of the Year A’ja Wilson couldn’t get open enough for USC’s guards to get the ball to her. First-team all-SEC member Alaina Coates got more and more looks as the game went on, but missed more and more chip shots. She still led USC with 14 points.

“I know for me, I didn’t take my time on a lot of my shots,” said Coates, who was 4-of-12. “I just felt like I needed to rush and get the ball up there.”

Tigers leading scorer Brandy Montgomery was scoreless in the first half but finished with 18 as USC couldn’t keep the dominance alive. The Gamecocks were sitting on 15 second-half points before Montgomery and the Tigers gave them a little kick in the rear.

USC added 10 more although the stretch was still pocked with turnovers. Auburn, fighting for an NCAA tournament berth, didn’t quit clawing until the final buzzer.

The Gamecocks (29-1) missed their final two shots, each at the rim, and snuck out of the arena.

“Just syncing up,” said Tiffany Mitchell on the problems. “We have to hit our post players when they’re open and not when they’re around two people. Be able to find each other when we’re open.”

Mitchell finished 2-of-11 for eight points. Coates, despite not being able to hit a lot of chances, led the team with 14 while Bianca Cuevas scored 10 during extended duty.

Staley trusted her team to get it together before Saturday’s 5 p.m. semifinal.

“Our offense just has to find a way to find some fluidity,” she said.

NOTE: Khadijah Sessions didn’t play the second half with a stomach ailment. She said she would be fine for Saturday’s game.

TURNING POINT

Trailing 9-4 and unable to get open looks or make them if she got them, Coates knocked away an interior pass and was fouled trying to start a fast break. She swatted another pass on the next possession and it begat a score, starting the Gamecocks on their lead-taking run.

3 POINTS

Star of the game: Cuevas, playing the entire second half with Sessions out, scored 10 with four steals and three assists. She had four turnovers but was able to use her speed to keep Auburn in foul trouble.

Play of the game: Coates’ tap-away came as she came out to the high post from her usual middle position. The Gamecocks took a cue and began being much more active on defense.

Stat of the game: 16 turnovers and 16 field goals. USC shot 31 percent, yet still won by nine.

FROM THE BASELINE

Let me get lined up: Veterans Memorial Arena is normally used for arena football. For basketball, one end has seats right behind the goal and the other end has seats far back from the goal.

That end has nothing that shooters can line up, which may explain why Auburn in the first half and USC’s outside shots in the second half were mostly missing.

Strong: The Gamecocks revolve around their inside game. It should be a rule that nobody shoots a 3-pointer in the first quarter, until they’ve pounded the ball inside a few times.

Not giving the ball to their best inside presence, who was last seen winning SEC Player of the Year, opened that 9-3 Auburn start.

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AUBURN (19-12)

Montgomery 8-19 1-1 18, Frerking 2-11 0-0 4, Ja. Jones 1-1 0-0 2, McKay 4-9 0-0 10, Tanner 3-7 4-6 10, Sanders 1-3 0-0 2, Je. Jones 0-2 0-0 0, Capers 1-1 0-2 2, Dieng 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 20-56 5-9 48.<

SOUTH CAROLINA (29-1)

Sessions 0-0 5-7 5, Wilson 3-8 2-2 8, Mitchell 2-11 4-5 8, Dozier 2-4 0-0 5, Coates 4-12 6-9 14, Cuevas 3-6 3-3 10, Cliney 0-0 0-0 0, Roy 1-4 1-2 4, Imovbioh 1-4 1-1 3, White 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 16-51 22-29 57.<

3-Point Goals_Auburn 3-13 (McKay 2-3, Montgomery 1-4, Frerking 0-6), South Carolina 3-12 (Dozier 1-2, Roy 1-3, Cuevas 1-3, Mitchell 0-4). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Auburn 35 (Frerking, Montgomery, Tanner 6), South Carolina 36 (Coates 12). Assists_Auburn 9 (Capers, Frerking, Montgomery 2), South Carolina 11 (Cuevas, Mitchell, Wilson 3). Total Fouls_Auburn 24, South Carolina 12.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 2:02 PM.