WBB: #1 South Carolina edges #8 Maryland

In a game that pitted Maryland’s high-octane offense against South Carolina’s imposing posts, it was South Carolina’s inside play that wore down Maryland. South Carolina grabbed 61 rebounds, outrebounding Maryland by 27. South Carolina nearly doubled-up Maryland with a 42-22 edge in points in the paint, and blocked 15 shots.

Zia Cooke led the Gamecocks with 20 points, breaking out of a recent slump. Aliyah Boston was once again dominant, going for 16 points, 16 rebounds, and seven blocks. But the Gamecocks struggled to get any offensive consistency. The Terrapins used a three-quarter court trap and fell back in a zone, trying to crowd the paint and slow down the Gamecock offense while also speeding up the guards’ decision-making.

“We know they like to drive and we know they have big post players and so we really focused on packing it in and getting out to those shooters,” said Faith Masonius. “It definitely gave South Carolina some difficulty inside.”

“It’s easier said than done,” Dawn Staley said. “They respected our post players and ability to control the paint. They pressed a lot more to slow us down. We really couldn’t find a good pace, and when we did we turned the ball over or we scored.”

Maryland entered the game as one of the best teams in the country in turnover margin, at plus-6.8. The Terps hit that mark Sunday, going plus-seven, but the Gamecocks only committed 16 turnovers, right at their season average. Neither team shot well. Maryland finished just 31.3% from the floor and South Carolina was 36.4%. The Gamecocks were 3-17 from three, and the Terps were 5-13.

South Carolina twice led by seven in the third quarter, and led by six early in the fourth quarter after a basket by Boston. Maryland answered by getting to the foul line, scoring six straight from the line to tie the game, and then Masonius got around Victaria Saxton for a layup to cap an 8-0 run and give Maryland a 55-53 lead with 6:30 to play.

Cooke tied the game with a pair of free throws, and then got a steal nead midcourt that she took in for a layup and the lead.

“Oh my gosh it was exciting. That play when I got that steal, it was a rush that went through me,” Cooke said. “I was telling myself I’ve got to get one and get the lead up, so that was a good moment for me.”

Cooke’s play sparked an 8-1 South Carolina run. Angel Reese, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, converted a three-point play to end the run. Maryland got the ball back down three and went to Reese again, but Boston forced her into a tough shot and Laeticia Amihere got the rebound.

South Carolina was able to close out the game at the line, and on the glass. The Gamecocks got consecutive offensive rebounds off missed free throws to prolong their possession and pad the lead.

“The moral of the story was rebounding. The size, you saw that late game, you can’t go minus-27 on the glass like we did and give up 24 o-boards,” said Brenda Frese. “As the game wore on they were able to wear us out. They’ve got more depth and more size than what we have and were able to get to the free throw line more in the second half.”

South Carolina finished with 24 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points, getting the ball back on more than half of their 42 missed shots.

“It was one of the non-negotiables to beating a team like Maryland,” Staley said. “The rebounding gave us an opportunity to hang in there. If we had to bank on 36% shooting we’re not going to win the game.”

Notes:

Cooke and Boston both passed 1,000 points for their careers in the game. Cooke hit the mark with a three-pointer in the second quarter that gave the Gamecocks their first lead and started an 8-0 run. Boston passed the mark with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter. … Destanni Henderson missed her second consecutive game. She went through warmups and was in uniform but did not play. Staley joked “I fooled y’all!” after the game. … LeLe Grissett checked into the game with thirty seconds left in the first quarter, a surprise first appearance of the season. She received the loudest cheer of the season to that point. Grissett finished with five points, four rebounds, and a block in nine minutes, bringing her patented energy to the game. … South Carolina now has four wins against teams ranked in the AP Top Ten at the time of the game. … The Gamecocks got new Ty Harris Under Armour shoes for the game. … Announced attendance was 12,862. … South Carolina’s next game is Wednesday at Duke.

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