WBB throttles Arkansas 92-46, Boston sets program double-double record

Boston did end up breaking Sheila Foster’s all-time progarm double-doubles record that had stood since 1982, scoring 13 points and pulling in 14 rebounds for her 73rd career double-double.

But against an Arkansas team who took undefeated No. 3 down to the wire just three days earlier and received votes in the national rankings this week, the No. 1 Gamecocks absolutely exploded in every phase of the game for one of their most impressive performances of the season so far.

South Carolina blasted Arkansas 92-46 at Colonial Life Arena, the 26th consecutive win for the program overall and the 20th this season. Arkansas entered the game leading the SEC both in 3-pointers attempted and made while averaging 77.2 points per game, good for fourth in the league.

But against South Carolina’s (20-0, 8-0 SEC) smothering defense, Arkansas (17-5, 4-3 SEC) only managed 5-of-30 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc and scored its second-lowest point total of the season. The knockout punch came through the end of the first quarter and early minutes of the second quarter, when South Carolina ripped off a 25-2 stretch to run the Razorbacks out of the gym before the halftime buzzer went off.

“Pretty high,” Boston said on where the milestone ranks on her list of career accomplishments. “Coming in I didn’t really know this was a record, so to be able to do it it was kind of like, wow, who would have thought?”

Zia Cooke knocked down six of her eight first half shot attempts and scored another 24 points, her sixth time in the last seven games with at least 16 points. She also knocked down four 3-pointers, tying her season-high and coming up one shy of her career-best mark.

At one point during the first half run she uncorked a 3-pointer and turned around down the other way before it had even hit the bottom of the net, a moment fitting of the swagger South Carolina played with all day.

"I've been in a great space mentally since the beginning of the season," Cooke said. "It doesn't really change when it comes to that, but I definitely will agree I was having fun out there. I just try my best to play like that every time I step on the court."

It was a completely dominant performance in every single phase. South Carolina set its all-time program record for rebounds in an SEC game, pulling in 74 boards and winning the rebounding count by a staggering 74-17 total, also setting the program’s all-time record for single-game rebounding margin. Boston had her 14, but Kamilla Cardoso also snatched 16 boards, the highest single-game total for any Gamecock this season and 12 of the 13 players who touched the floor pulled in at least one board.

South Carolina played efficient offense with assists on nearly half (14 of 30) of its made field goals, consistently worked its way to the free throw line with a season-high 33 attempts (with 27 makes) and the depth of the team showed up again with an 38-7 advantage in bench points.

Sania Feagin also returned to action after missing four games with a leg injury, checking in for the first time in the third quarter and scoring six points in 10 minutes

The team is now halfway through SEC play heading into a bye week before heading on the road to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama next Sunday.

'We did a great job," Dawn Staley said. "The preparation was pretty good, the way that we had to defend them was pretty good and they didn't get away from us a whole lot. I thought we just stayed engaged and just displayed the habits that we've created."