SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Gamecocks host the Crimson TIde Sunday as both teams try to move to 2-0 in the SEC.
1. Consistency
It is the one constant this season: inconsistency. The good news is that Dawn Staley seems to have settled on a way to deal with the lack of consistency. She has started the same lineup for the last three games and substituted early and often. The strategy is, for the most part, working. The hot player, whoever she is, has a chance to get in the game, and nobody plays heavy minutes, which was a big factor in wearing down Texas A&M in that win.
2. Momentum
South Carolina’s difficult non-conference schedule obviously cost it in the win column, but it also prevented South Carolina from establishing any sort of momentum. There were no guaranteed games where South Carolina could focus on itself. Over the last month that changed. South Carolina got some easy wins combined with the holiday break to practice, and the result is a five-game winning streak.
The win over the Aggies showed how far the Gamecocks have come. They were unable to close out games against Oregon State and Drake, but Thursday night it was the Aggies who succumbed to pressure in the fourth quarter, while the Gamecocks stayed calm.
“I’m impressed with the way we won the game,” Dawn Staley said. “If you can play the way we played, you’re going to put yourself in position to win a lot more.”
3. KiKi coming on
As much as anyone, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan has felt the pressure of replacing A’ja Wilson. She plays the same position and has a similar skillset as Wilson, but the production hasn’t been there. There were moments early in the season where you could see Herbert Harrigan trying to take over games, but she wasn’t able to do so. During the five-game winning streak, her productivity has started to match her effort and she is playing the best basketball of her career.
Herbert Harrigan had 19 points and 15 rebounds against Purdue and then 11 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks against Texas A&M. She’s blocked at least two shots in each game during the win streak, becoming a positive defensive factor after often being a defensive liability during her first two seasons. Herbert Harrigan is averaging 2.4 blocks per game, second in the SEC, and South Carolina is second in the nation with 7.4 blocks per game. The 16 rebounds are her career-high.
“She was grabbing rebound after rebound after rebound,” Staley said.
4. Te’a Time
Te’a Cooper set a career-high with 31 points against Drake, but since then she has largely struggled. Cooper was taking a lot of shots to get her points and not getting her teammates involved. She was also a bit of a one-dimensional player, not contributing much besides scoring. Staley got on Cooper about being more of a distributor, and the pendulum swung too far the other direction, with Cooper becoming too passive. Staley pulled Cooper aside after practice Wednesday, and the two talked for about 15 minutes.
“I want you to be dynamic,” Staley told Cooper.
The conversation worked. Against Texas A&M Cooper finally found the right groove, stuffing the box score with 24 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. She was South Carolina’s best offensive player, and just as importantly, she was the primary defender on Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M’s leading scorer. Carter scored just three points in the second half, all on free throws, and was exhausted in the fourth quarter.
“There are very few players that have the offensive prowess of a Te’a Cooper that embrace the challenge of playing someone as talented as Chennedy Carter,” Staley said. “There aren’t a lot of them that want to take on that responsibility. They want to outscore them, but they don’t want to shut them down.”
5. Scouting the Crimson Tide
The series between the two teams has been lopsided, especially during recent years. South Carolina has won 14 straight, and Staley has never lost to Alabama. South Carolina’s average margin of victory is 23.4 during the span, with four wins of at least 30 points.
Alabama has improved under Kristy Curry, and the Tide had a significant accomplishment in their conference-opening win over Florida, coming back from a 20-point deficit to win.
Alabama has a solid inside-outside combo with Jasmine Walker and Cierra Johnson. Walker is averaging 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, while point guard Johnson scores 13.9 points per game and 2.9 assists. Staley thinks the gap between the programs has narrowed, and expects a hard-fought game.
“They play relentless,” Staley said. “They are going to play for 40 minutes.”
The Ws
Who: South Carolina (9-4, 1-0) vs Alabama (9-5, 1-0)
When: Sunday, January 6, noon
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: ESPNU
