WBB: Five Things to Watch - Arkansas
SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Gamecocks begin the defense of their SEC Tournament title Friday night.
1. The A’ja Wilson Invitational
South Carolina has won the last four SEC Tournaments, more than any other team in league history, even Tennessee. Much was written last year about how incredible it was that A’ja Wilson finished her decorated career without a single loss in the SEC Tournament, something no other four-year player could say.
She could get company this year. Redshirt seniors Bianca Cuevas-Moore and Doniyah Cliney have never lost in the tournament either, and have a chance to finish their careers undefeated if they can lead South Carolina to a fifth straight title.
South Carolina is 20-23 all-time in the SEC Tournament. However, Dawn Staley has accounted for 17 of those wins, and just six losses.
2. Yes, that Greenville
After bouncing around the SEC footprint for the most of the 2000s, the SEC Tournament has unofficially found a semi-permanent home in Greenville. It was hosted there in 2017, and for three more years beginning this year. The 2022 and 2026 Tournaments will be played in Nashville, the next two years that the men’s tournament will leave Bridgestone Arena, its official semi-permanent home.
Obviously, holding the tournament in Greenville is a boost for the Gamecocks and the state of South Carolina. After years of feeling like the red-headed step-child, the Gamecocks finally get an event in their backyard, something that caters to their fan base. Greenville is a short drive for most Gamecock fans, and the SEC wants to take advantage of the rabid fan base. For the Gamecocks, who haven’t needed the help anyway, it turns the tournament into a virtual home event.
3. Milestone watch
Cuevas-Moore has had something of a roller-coaster career at South Carolina (remember that time she transferred to West Virginia and then came back?), but she is closing in on a major milestone. Cuevas-Moore is just 27 points away from 1,000 for her career. She has at least two games left in her career. A conservative guess would be four more games (two in the SEC Tournament and two in the NCAA Tournament), meaning she’d need to average seven points in those games to eclipse 1,000. It would be a nice send off for a player who has sacrificed personal stats for the good of the team during her Gamecock career.
Junior point guard Tyasha Harris is also closing in on a milestone. With just seven more assists, she will move into the top five for career assists in Gamecock history. Harris has averaged 5.3 assists per game this season, but 8.8 assists over the last five games, including a career-high 14 at Tennessee.
4. Awards season
For the first time in five years, the Gamecocks did not have the SEC Player of the Year. That went to Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowan. The Gamecocks did not have anyone on the first team either, the product of a deep and inconsistent roster. There were still several honors to go around.
Harris, Te’a Cooper, and Alexis Jennings were named to the coaches’ second team. Harris was also named to the AP second team. Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton were named to the all-freshman team.
5. Scouting the Razorbacks
Arkansas beat Georgia 86-76 Thursday night for the right to play South Carolina. Arkansas won despite only shooting 7-of-16 from three. However, Chelsea Dungee was a force, scoring 31 points and going 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
South Carolina beat Arkansas 87-79 in the regular season, but it was a tough win. Arkansas’s small, fast lineup and uptempo play gave South Carolina fits. Arkansas led most of the game, before Staley, desperate for a spark, inserted Henderson and Saxton, who were little used freshmen at that point. They provided the spark Staley wanted, each scoring a career-high 19 points to help South Carolina score 35 points in the fourth quarter for the comeback win. It was a bit of a turning point in the season. Henderson had started earlier in the season, but fallen to the edge of the rotation before that game. Since then, she and Saxton have been two of the first players off the bench.
The Ws
Who: #2 South Carolina vs #10 Arkansas
When: Friday, March 8, 6:00 pm
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC
Watch: SEC Network
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