SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
South Carolina upset #2 Baylor 74-59 on the final day of the Paradise Jam.
The teams traded runs in the first half. South Carolina went on a 16-2 run straddling the first and second quarters to take an 11-point lead it would never surrender. But the Gamecocks lost their focus a little, looking for spectacular plays instead of simple ones, and Baylor finished the half on a 10-2 run to trim the lead to three, 38-35 at the break.
Fatigue and fouls took hold in the second half. The officials were already calling a tight game, and as players got tired, they committed more reach-in fouls. Boston, who made it through the first half without a foul, was called for three quick fouls in the third quarter. Baylor’s leading scorer, NaLyssa Smith, picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter. Predictably, both offenses sputtered and the game became a war of attrition, and South Carolina refused to wilt.
The Lady Bears had the ball down 54-52 with a chance to tie or take the lead, but former Gamecock Te’a Cooper stepped on the sideline. Tyasha Harris drew a foul and made both free throws. After a miss, Brea Beal added a free throw. The teams traded putbacks, and then Cooper hit a long three to pull back within two at 59-57 with 5:53 left. The Lady Bears called a timeout, but it was all Gamecocks the rest of the way.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan made consecutive layups, while Boston played outstanding defense to force a pair of misses. Destanni Henderson added a free throw, and then Smith made a layup, Baylor’s only points over the final 5:53. After another Baylor timeout, Boston went to work, scoring six straight points to seal the win.
For good measure, Harris made an uncontested layup with 1.3 seconds left. Because three teams finished the Paradise Jam with 2-1 records, the championship was determined by point differential, and South Carolina needed to win by 15 or more to claim the title. Harris’ layup gave South Carolina the win by exactly 15 points.
Harris finished with a season-high 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. She was hot in the first half, scoring 13 and helping South Carolina build its lead. She made key plays down the stretch, but when South Carolina needed points, it went to Boston and Herbert Harrigan. Baylor was already without all-american Lauren Cox, and foul trouble limited Smith and Queen Egbo, the two starting posts. They lacked the quickness to stay with Herbert Harrigan, who finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, and the strength to handle Boston, who had the most dominant game of her already impressive career.
She finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, both career-highs, and scored ten points in the fourth quarter. She added a pair of blocks and strong defense. Like she was against Maryland, another team that dominated South Carolina inside last season, Boston was the most physical player on a court full of physical, and older, players.
For Baylor, Smith had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Cooper had, well, the same type of game she had most of last season. She scored ten points, but shot just 3-13 and turned it over six types.
Herbert Harrigan said the game represented revenge, since Baylor beat South Carolina twice last season, both times by 25 and ending South Carolina’s season in the Sweet 16. The Gamecocks’ excitement was evident in the final minutes, with players jumping up and down and Dawn Staley high-fiving fans behind the bench. For Baylor, the defending national champions, the loss ended a 36 game winning streak.
Now the question becomes, who will be #1 when the polls come out next week? #1 Oregon lost to #9 Louisville earlier Saturday in the Paradise Jam. South Carolina has the two wins over top five opponents, but lost to #17 Indiana. The most important thing to consider is, the polls don’t matter at all.
