SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
A sluggish start gave way to a dominant third quarter and the Gamecocks routed the Lady Hornets 103-43 behind a scintillating game from Aliyah Boston.
Boston, the bubbly freshman from the Virgin Islands by way of Massachusetts, had perhaps the best debut ever by a Gamecock. Boston finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 blocks. She tied the single-game school record for blocks and became the first freshman in program history with a triple-double, and the first since Alaina Coates in 2015. Boston joined Coates as the only players with points-rebound-blocks triple-doubles.
It wasn’t just the numbers. Boston also had three steals and an assist, along with several other nice passes that created baskets. She scored inside and stepped out and made jump shots. She made 6-8 free throws and only committed two fouls. She also loudly called out defensive rotations and cheered on her teammates while sitting at the scorer’s table waiting to check in.
“My teammates were able to get me the ball and I was able to produce for them, and everything just fell into place,” Boston said.
“I’m just going to let her enjoy the moment. A triple-double is a triple-double no matter when it occurs,” Dawn Staley said. “She was active out there blocking shots and getting rebounds.”
South Carolina led 43-24 at halftime, but the score masked what was actually happening on the court. South Carolina built the lead because it was bigger and had better players, not because it was executing better as a team than Alabama State.
That changed in the third quarter. The teams traded baskets, and then the Gamecocks went on a crushing 22-0 run. They did it by getting the basketball to the rim, making their free throws, and sharing the basketball. Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who had a quiet first half, started things with a jumper. She added a pair of free throws, and then Boston drilled a spot-up jumper from about 13 feet. Zia Cooke and Herbert Harrigan each added a pair of free throws, and then Tyasha Harris made a layup. Another basket by Herbert Harrigan followed, and the frustration boiled over for the Lady Hornets. Zomoria Clark picked up her fifth foul, and then drew a technical before leaving the court. The Gamecocks made 3-4 free throws, and then Cooke scored on a putback and Harris converted a three-point play to cap the run.
“This is the makeup of this team,” Staley said. “They are genuinely happy for each other. I can’t wait until we can continue this kind of championship behavior.”
In the exhibition and then the first half Tuesday, Herbert Harrigan often looked a little uncomfortable. She seemed to be having trouble finding her role with all the freshmen dominating the ball. She was more assertive in the third quarter, but still took what the defense presented and finished tied for the game-high with 13 points.
Cooke also scored 13 points, overcoming a poor-shooting first half. Cooke took 14 shots, most on the team, but she was getting to the rim for shot attempts. Harris added 11 points, and LeLe Grissett added ten points and seven rebounds, as the Gamecocks chased the century mark late in the game.
The star of the fourth quarter was Olivia Thompson. The Lexington native and lifelong turned down scholarship offers to be a preferred walk-on at South Carolina. She was nervous in the exhibition and missed all three of her shot attempts. She was nervous again preparing to check in on Tuesday, but once her first shot fell, the nerves went away. She ended up scoring 10 points in just seven minutes, drawing huge cheers from her hometown crowd.
“I’m still on cloud nine, to be honest,” Thompson said. “I was very nervous before I got on the court, like when she called my name I was (gasp). But when I got out there I was calm and then I hit that first shot I was like, this is looking good and I tried again and kept making them.”
“It’s great. Olivia and her family have been Gamecock fans all their lives, and she was living out a dream today,” Staley said. “If she gets her feet under her she can knock down shots.”
All eleven Gamecocks who were available played and scored. The Gamecocks shot just 38.5 percent in the first half, but shot 61 percent in the second half. They scored 50 points in the paint and were plus-ten in rebounding.
Notes:
Earlier on Tuesday, Harris was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30. The Wooden Award goes to the nation’s best player. A’ja Wilson won the award in 2018. … Former Gamecock Khadijah Sessions provided color commentary for the game on SEC Network+. … Prior to the game, the Gamecocks unveiled a banner recognizing the five consecutive seasons leading the nation in attendance … Brea Beal started, but was relatively quiet, but still looked comfortable. She finished with four points, five rebounds, and three assists, and solid defense. … Once again, South Carolina was just average from the free throw line, going 22-32, 68.8 percent. … The 103 points was the most ever in a season-opener. … South Carolina had 16 blocks as a team, tying the team record. … LeLe Grissett begged her way back into the game in the fourth quarter to chase a double-double. One of her professors had offered the entire class a bonus grade if she got a double-double. Staley agreed in the interest of academics. … Announced attendance was 10,586. … South Carolina’s next game is Sunday at Maryland.
