Who: #1 South Carolina (10-0) vs. Charleston Southern (2-8)
Time/TV: 2:00 on SEC Network +
Line: Best guess: SC -49.5 Total 131.5
History: SC leads 7-0. Only one of the meetings have been decided by less than 22 points. SPOILER ALERT*** This one also won't be within 22 points.
Last Meeting: November 8, 2013. Carolina 99-29. The Gamecocks began the 2013-2014 season, that would end in the Sweet 16, with an absolute annihilation of the Bucs. South Carolina shot 60% from the field, led by true freshman Alaina Coates with 20 points. Aleighsa Welch added 15 points and the Gamecocks held Charleston Southern to 18% shooting. The Gamecock defense also blocked 12 shots and forced 25 turnovers in the blowout win.
Scouting the Bucs
Charleston Southern is #356 out of 361 in the NET rankings, the Gamecocks are #1. Clemson and East Tennessee State are common opponents of the Gamecocks and Buccaneers. Charleston Southern lost those contests by a combined score of 76-149. Carolina beat the same two opponents by a combined score of 186-62. We could fill up this entire column with similar statistics and comparisons, but you get the point.
Southern has two players over six feet and they average a combined 8.5 points a game. As a team, the Bucs average over 24 turnovers a game. Southern has only 11 players on their roster and surprisingly none of them are from the Palmetto State.
What's Going to Happen
The Gamecocks will be able to name the score. Charleston Southern is likely the worst team Carolina will play all season. This is going to be a game for Dawn Staley to experiment with some lineups and get everyone on the team some minutes. True Freshman Chloe Kitts should make her Gamecock/collegiate debut.
Prior to the game, Aliyah Boston will be presented with the Honda Cup Award. The Honda Cup is awarded to the best female collegiate athlete in the country. Boston joins Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Maya Moore, and Candace Parker as the only hoopers to win the award this century. Boston also needs four offensive rebounds to tie Marsha Williams (1990-93) for second place (career) in program history.
South Carolina’s bench has out-scored its starters four times this season – at Clemson (Nov. 17), vs. Hampton (Nov. 27), vs. Memphis (Dec. 3) and vs. Liberty (Dec. 11). This game will be the fifth such instance. The bench has been especially productive offensively, averaging 40.2 points to account for 49.7 percent of the Gamecocks’ total offense.
Ashlyn Watkins will become the first Gamecocks to dunk at home in the 20-year history of the Colonial Life Arena.
