Kierra Fletcher flashes back to Georgia Tech days in hot shooting night vs. Tennessee

Tennessee women’s basketball coach Kellie Harper set the game plan for the Lady Volunteers before Thursday’s game against No. 1 South Carolina.

“We don’t need a non-shooter to become a shooter today,” Harper told the team.

Based on game film, statistics and past performances, there was no reason to expect USC guard Kierra Fletcher — who came in averaging four points per game — to drop a season-high 15 points and propel the Gamecocks to a 73-60 win at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Fletcher made two 3-point baskets all season before Thursday, then made both of her long-range attempts against Tennessee. Her first made shot of the game was a catch-and-shoot midrange jumper while drifting to her left.

She also drew an and-1 late in the third quarter that gave South Carolina an 18-point lead — the largest of the night.

“My teammates and my coaches, they’ve been telling me to continue being confident and shoot the ball a little bit more,” Fletcher said. “Coach (Dawn Staley) has been on me pretty much the whole season, just being aggressive, and I think I tried to do that tonight.”

Fletcher played a similar game against UCLA in November, scoring 12 points while knocking down midrange jumpshots.

She’s been more of a facilitator for South Carolina, but was a capable scorer in her days at Georgia Tech.

Fletcher averaged 12.4 points per game in her last season with Georgia Tech, and made 35.9% of her 3-pointers that year. She had eight games of 15 or more points, including a 16-point performance against South Carolina.

“She needs to add some of that to what we’re already doing,” Staley said. “I do think she has an understanding of what we want. Now she has to pick and choose her spots to be aggressive offensively.”

Choosing those spots on offense has been a process for Fletcher, but at this point in the season she’s shown comfort in her role.

She was recovering from a foot injury when she first arrived at USC as a graduate transfer, and came off the bench for the first two games of the season before taking over the starting job.

With Zia Cooke and Aliyah Boston in the starting lineup, and Kamilla Cardoso coming off the bench, the team doesn’t often need Fletcher to score. She stepped up on Thursday, though, and made her living as an offensive player.

“That changed the game,” Harper said. “Fletcher changed the game.”

Fletcher’s stats this year aren’t fully indicative of her value to the team.

She serves as a stabilizer offensively, controlling the pace and keeping the ball movement strong. Her on-ball defense has stifled opponents at times and slowed scorers down. She played a role in the perimeter defense that held Tennessee guard Jordan Horston to 6-of-17 shooting.

Like her teammate Brea Beal, who finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee, it’s the hustle plays and scrappiness that give USC a lift.

“We may not always score all the time, but we do a lot of the other things,” Beal said. “So when we are called upon, and we are told to make those shots or take those drives to the basket, we’re able to do it.”

South Carolina clinched a share of the SEC regular-season title on Thursday. Fletcher and the Yellow Jackets finished third once in the ACC, but typically ended their seasons among the dregs of the league.

Fletcher has transitioned from being a scorer on a mostly middling ACC team to serving as a key ball handler on a championship contender.

“A lot of this is going to be new for me,” Fletcher said. “I’m savoring it. It’s gonna be a roller coaster. I’m super excited.”