#1 South Carolina avenged last season’s loss with a 66-57 win at #5 NC State.

The game wasn’t quite as ugly as the game last season, which Dawn Staley quipped “set basketball back a few years,” but it wasn’t a thing of beauty either. Both teams seemed nervous at times, especially in the first half.

Destanni Henderson picked up her second foul late in the first quarter, and South Carolina struggled to get into its offense in the second quarter. Raven Johnson looked like a freshman, slow to get into the offense and then struggling to get the ball to the right teammate. Destiny Littleton saved South Carolina, scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds to give the Gamecocks a 25-19 halftime lead despite 12 turnovers.

“Just rushing. It’s the first game of the season and an incredible atmosphere,” Dawn Staley said. “We just got out of sync.”

With Henderson back running the show, South Carolina’s depth and experience started to take over in the second half. South Carolina turned the ball over just twice in the third quarter and none in the fourth. Kamilla Cardoso played most of the third quarter, wearing down Elissa Cunane while Aliyah Boston was on the bench resting. Zia Cooke and another reserve, Laeticia Amihere, scored four points each during a quarter-ending 10-3 run that put South Carolina up 47-39 going into the fourth.

Boston checked back in, and with fresh legs she was able to impose her will. She helped force consecutive NC State turnovers against the shot clock, one of which led to a three by Cooke. Later Boston muscled in a basket midway through the quarter to give South Carolina its largest lead of the game at 14 points.

“We had to make sure that we locked down and I thought that we did a good job of that,” Staley said.

NC State answered with an 8-2 run, but fatigue became an issue. Henderson beat the defense to the rim, drawing a foul and making both shots. Boston added a pair, and Cunane left a shot short over Brea Beal. South Carolina made enough free throws to clinch the win.

Cooke scored 17 and Henderson had 14 points to lead South Carolina. Raina Perez and Jakia Brown-Turner each scored 18 for NC State. The anticipated battle in the paint never really materialized.

Due in part to Henderson’s foul trouble, South Carolina struggled to get Boston and Cardoso the ball in the post. Boston managed just eight points and six rebounds on 3-8 shooting, but did have five blocks. Cardoso made her only shot attempt, but did have four rebounds and a block.

“You play the percentages (and try to take away the post),” Staley said. “It takes expert passing and that’s timing and we don’t have that right now.”

Cunane had eight points, but it came on 4-11 shooting and she had just three rebounds. The game plan was to give Cunane different looks with different players and wear her down.

“We wanted her to work as hard as she could,” Staley said. “It’s one of her and four of us.”

“They really defensively took us out of anything we wanted to do,” NC State coach Wes Moore said. “We just offensively couldn’t get anything going.”

South Carolina won its usual statistical areas: plus-five in points off turnovers, plus-three in second chance points, plus-11 in bench points, plus-six in points in the paint, and a 9-0 advantage in blocks. South Carolina shot 49% from the floor while NC State shot 41.4%. It was the early turnovers that kept the game close.

Notes:

Former Gamecock cornerback and current Carolina Panther Jaycee Horn attended the game. … The final score last season was 54-46. … Amihere had nine points and five rebounds off the bench, playing most of the fourth quarter. … Saniya Rivers, Sania Feagin, Eniya Russell, Olivia Thompson, and Elysa Wesolek did not play. … South Carolina outrebounded NC State 35-30. … South Carolina shot 13-19 from the line, compared to just 4-6 for NC State. … South Carolina never trailed. NC State cut the lead to one three times in the third quarter, but never got over the hump. … South Carolina ended NC State’s 40-game non-conference home court winning streak. … South Carolina’s next game is Friday at South Dakota.

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