South Carolina took care of business with an occasionally sloppy but comfortable win over Georgia in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.
South Carolina didn’t run away from Georgia the way it did in Athens during the regular season. There were turnovers and defensive breakdowns, and a lot of watching and reaching. But there were enough flashes of the team that finished the season ranked #1 to handle things. Georgia played well, but South Carolina got one big run in each quarter to pull away.
There was a 47-second, 7-0 spurt to finish the first quarter. That became part of an 11-0 run that turned a one-point lead into double digits. Late in the second quarter, there was a 10-0 run that lasted just under two minutes. And then there was a 12-1 run in the third quarter that saw South Carolina hold Georgia without a field goal for 6:30. Finally, the reserves led a 14-5 run to start the fourth quarter, turning the game into a rout in the process.
It added up to a 33-point win, the largest win by a #1 seed over a #9 in SEC Tournament history. South Carolina won the game the way it usually does: points in the paint, transition baskets, and bench production.
“I thought we were a little rattled early on,” Dawn Staley said. “Maybe it was the rust of not playing on a Thursday. Our bench has shown up all season long to give us a boost. They gave us the boost that we needed.”
LeLe Grissett, Victaria Saxton, and Destanni Henderson did the damage off the bench. They combined for all the points during the 14-5 fourth quarter run, and Grissett had the steal and layup that sparked the 7-0 run at the end of the first quarter. Grissett finished with 12 points, four steals, two assists, and a block.
“We brought a lot of energy off the bench,” Grissett said. “We knew as soon as we got in the game we’ve got to play together and push the ball and work hard. Every time we sat on the bench we talked about how we’re going to impact the game.”
Saxton had 11 points, four rebounds, and three blocks. Henderson added 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. As a unit, South Carolina’s bench outscored Georgia’s bench 40-17.
“Their subs have sometimes hurt us more than their starters. Everybody she brings off the bench could be starting somewhere else,” Georgia’s Joni Taylor said. “You just never can get a break because they come in and keep coming at you and coming at you because of their skillset and how good they are on both ends of the floor.”
South Carolina’s post game was on full display. They outscored Georgia 58-24 in the paint and went 16-20 from the line, while Georgia was just 3-4 from the line. South Carolina got 31 points off 23 Georgia turnovers and had a 21-6 edge in transition.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who scored her career-high in the SEC Tournament last season, led the Gamecocks with 16 points. Tyasha Harris had 15 points and five rebounds, but an uncharacteristic four turnovers. Aliyah Boston had nine points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks in just 18 minutes.
Notes:
There was a mistake in pregame introductions when the PA announcer accidentally announced the “#7 South Carolina Gamecocks.” … Saxton played in the first SEC tournament game of her career. She missed last year’s game due to a death in the family. … South Carolina emptied the bench early in the fourth quarter. Neither Elysa Wesolek or Olivia Thompson scored. Thompson had a three rim in and out, and Wesolek missed a layup and then was chased down from behind on a late turnover. … South Carolina outrebounded Georgia 40-30. … South Carolina shot 56 percent and held Georgia to 37 percent, thanks to the second half, which saw South Carolina shoot 64 percent and Georgia shoot 30 percent. … Jenna Staiti scored 16 for Georgia. … By quarter, South Carolina scored 23, 22, 22, and 22 points. … Laeticia Amihere finished with seven points and seven rebounds. … South Carolina will play the winner of the Arkansas-Texas A&M game Saturday at 5. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
