SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Gamecocks routed the Tigers 84-48 for their tenth straight in the rivalry.
South Carolina got balanced scoring, with six players in double figures, but it was defense that stole the show. South Carolina held Clemson to just 26.2 percent shooting, forced 22 turnovers (outscoring Clemson 23-4 off turnovers), and blocked nine shots.
The Gamecocks blew the game open with a dominant third quarter. They held the Tigers to just 1-12 shooting and forced eight turnovers. Brea Beal made a pair of three pointers during a 12-0 run in the middle of the frame, and the Gamecocks outscored the Tigers 23-6. The lead was 65-29 at the end of the quarter, and the Tigers had twice as many turnovers (20) and made baskets (10).
“We knew we had to come in here and disrupt,” Dawn Staley said. “We knew we had to apply a lot of pressure and not allow them to get comfortable in their sets. I thought we did that for the entire game.”
Clemson trailed by just 19 at halftime, but leading scorer Kobi Thornton had picked up her third foul on offense late in the second quarter. South Carolina went at her, and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan drew Thornton’s fourth foul just 19 seconds into the third quarter. Thornton had to sit, and although it was only for a couple minutes, she couldn’t be aggressive anymore. She had nine points and eight rebounds in the first half, and finished with just 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“We wanted to target her,” Staley said. “She’s a player. She got a double-double on us. She’s the one player that we had difficulty guarding for the past four years. KiKi did a great job of executing.”
Beal finished with a career-high 11 points, and shot 3-5 from three after going 1-6 in her first five games. She took advantage of Clemson sagging zone defense, which was intended to slop Herbert Harrigan and Boston, but left Beal and other shooters open. Herbert Harrigan and Aliyah Boston each finished with 13 points. Herbert Harrigan added nine rebounds and Boston had four rebounds and three steals. Herbert Harrigan and Tyasha Harris, who had 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists, finished their careers undefeated against Clemson.
“It feels great,” Herbert Harrigan said. “They’re our rival so it’s great to never lose to them.”
Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson, who has really taken to her sixth-player role, each scored ten points and played aggressive defense on Clemson’s guards. Along with Harris, they pushed the tempo and were able to outscore Clemson 26-0 in fast break points. Boston and Herbert Harrigan laughed at the suggestion that they might get tired of watching the guards run away from them.
“It’s great, it really is,” Boston said.
Notes:
With the win, South Carolina takes a 4-3 lead in the Palmetto Series. … Boston had to leave the game in the first quarter when she got poked in the eye and her contact fell out. “It was great,” she said, sarcastically. … Thornton was the only player in double figures for Clemson. … Thanks largely to 18 offensive rebounds, Clemson evened South Carolina on the boards. … Clemson finished with 22 turnovers and 17 baskets. … All eleven Gamecocks scored. Elysa Wesolek and Olivia Thompson each played in the fourth quarter and hit a three. … After a breakout game against USC Upstate, Laeticia Amihere struggled. She finished with one point and six rebounds. … Announced attendance was 2,830. … The Gamecocks brought three busloads of fans to the game. Gamecock fans outnumbered Tiger fans and were much louder than their counterparts. … South Carolina’s next game is against Indiana in the Paradise Jam.
