Back to the ’ship: Gamecocks get revenge on Lady Vols to reach SEC tournament finals
Even as South Carolina women’s basketball went up big early Saturday in the SEC tournament semifinals against Tennessee, Gamecock fans at Bon Secours Wellness Arena and on social media kept holding their breath.
They had seen No. 2 seed USC build substantial advantages before, in the team’s first meeting with Tennessee on Feb. 18 and in Thursday’s quarterfinals against Alabama, only for those leads to shrink and, in the case of that first game against the Lady Vols, disappear entirely.
But on Saturday, the Gamecocks kept the drama to a minimum, finishing UT off comfortably, 67-52, and returning to the SEC championship game for a shot at defending their title. They’ll face No. 4 seed Georgia on Sunday at 2 p.m.
3 OBSERVATIONS
1. First quarter burst
Much like the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 18, the game opened with a back-and-forth stretch in which the Gamecocks and Lady Vols traded buckets. After senior guard/forward Rennia Davis sank a 3-pointer to put UT up 11-10, though, momentum shifted.
USC sophomore forward Aliyah Boston drilled a 3-pointer of her own in response, kick starting a 10-0 run in the span of 91 seconds. That eventually morphed into a 19-2 surge to close the quarter, with sophomore Zia Cooke scoring six unanswered points in the final minute to push the lead to 29-13.
The Gamecocks built that run by taking advantage of Tennessee mistakes — foul trouble led to 10 free throw attempts in the first quarter alone, and six Lady Vol turnovers translated to 12 points for USC. Cooke and Boston led the way with eight points each.
2. Stepping on the gas
Into the second quarter, South Carolina saw its lead shrink a touch as it went cold from the field, shooting just 3 of 14. But coming out of the halftime break, the Gamecocks got back on track and ensured their advantage never dipped below 13. Boston was particularly active, tallying seven points and five rebounds en route to a double-double of 17 points and 15 boards.
With less than two minutes left in the quarter, senior guard LeLe Grissett got a layup to push the lead back to 17. On the ensuing possession, Tennessee missed and Henderson got the rebound. Pushing the ball in transition, she found Grissett with a no-look pass for an easy score that forced a Tennessee timeout and all but put the game on ice.
3. Officiating infuriates
Both coaches were livid with the officials at different points in the first half, and the fans in the arena were no less displeased. Tennessee was whistled seven times in the first quarter, and coach Kellie Harper flirted with a technical foul, straying outside her coaching box to let the referee know her thoughts.
Into the second quarter, things flipped — South Carolina was called for five fouls, including two on Boston. The second, coming on a defensive rebound, left Dawn Staley jumping up and down with outrage on the sideline.
The fouls lightened up in the second half, until a testy exchange in the fourth quarter. Tennessee’s Tamari Key and Cooke tangled for a jump ball, and after the whistle there was some jawing that ended with Davis and Cooke both being assessed technical fouls. That set the stage for a testy final 10 minutes in which contact was common. It wasn’t enough, though, to put any serious dent in South Carolina’s lead.
NEXT USC BASKETBALL GAME
What: SEC tournament finals
Who: No. 2 seed South Carolina vs. No. 4 seed Georgia
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville
Watch: ESPN2
