No. 1 South Carolina returns to action, hosts Vanderbilt. How to watch, what to know
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South Carolina women’s basketball returns to action Monday following an eight-day schedule break, hosting Vanderbilt at Colonial Life Arena.
The Commodores (10-9, 1-4 SEC) come to Columbia after losing four consecutive SEC games to Mississippi State, Tennessee, LSU and Missouri. Vanderbilt could be without senior guard Jordyn Cambridge, the SEC leader in steals (70 in 18 games) and its top rebounder (5.8 per game), as she remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Cambridge did not play in the Commodores’ last game against Missouri on Jan. 20, when Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said the senior would be questionable to play against South Carolina.
The top-ranked Gamecocks (17-1, 5-1 SEC) will be at full strength against Vanderbilt, head coach Dawn Staley said Sunday. Veteran guard Zia Cooke hopped off the floor midway through the third quarter at Arkansas on Jan. 16 after rolling her ankle, and freshman Bree Hall missed the Arkansas game due to health and safety protocols.
“Everybody’s good to go,” Staley said. “Had a good week of practice.”
Here’s what to watch for in Monday’s game.
Staley focused on limiting turnover trouble
Staley said the Gamecocks placed special emphasis in practice the past week on limiting the amount of turnovers.
South Carolina averages 15.4 turnovers per game this season and has seen lapses in ball security help opponents pull games closer. In their last game against Arkansas, the Gamecocks turned the ball over 19 times, and the Razorbacks capitalized for 16 points off USC mistakes.
“I did not envision us turning the ball over the way that we’re turning the ball over,” Staley said. “There are good turnovers and bad turnovers. Our turnovers have been bad in that they lead to points off of our turnovers.”
Staley said limiting turnovers is a process, but she had to be honest with her team in the past week, highlighting both the Gamecocks’ strengths and weaknesses.
“I told them who we are,” Staley said. “We are a turnover team that turns the ball over a lot. We’re a team that defends a great deal. We’re a team that rebounds a great deal. Although there’s good and bad, I think that’s who we are.
“(If) we’re able to change in taking better care of the ball, we cannot be in as many tight games as we’re in. I think it’s in direct relation to us turning the basketball over.”
South Carolina ‘back in competitive mode’ after break
Staley couldn’t recall a stretch where the Gamecocks were off eight days in a row. But the extra time without an opponent to prepare for shifted South Carolina practices to a singular focus last Tuesday to Thursday — looking within.
The top items? Staley said she wanted to see the Gamecocks play faster, convert in transition and “value the basketball” by mitigating turnovers.
“I’m hoping we’ll see a change in those aspects,” Staley said. “But if we don’t, we’ll have to continue to defend better. We have to continue to rebound like we do and work on late-game situations, because that’s what it’s come down to.”
Reflecting on the projections she had for this year’s team, Staley said she had initially thought South Carolina would be quicker in transition. Sunday, she called that aspect “a work in progress.”
Staley said the Gamecocks’ work on the defensive side of the ball, where opponents have been held to 53.4 points per game, as well as their proficient rebounding, the NCAA’s third-best 46.9 boards per game, were expectations she has seen come to fruition.
Staley also prioritized rest throughout the break for the team’s mental state. She said the players likely caught up on their Netflix shows, decompressing for upcoming games. But once Vanderbilt prep began, the Gamecocks shifted back in gear.
“Our mindset is back into competitive mode, back into being the hunted,” Staley said.
Gamecocks prepare for ‘target on their back’ through upcoming stretch
Coming off their eight-day break, the Gamecocks play three opponents across seven days — hosting Vanderbilt on Monday and UConn on Thursday before traveling to Florida on Jan. 30.
In addition to using the off period to focus on her team individually, Staley took time to study film on all three of South Carolina’s upcoming opponents. She said the Gamecocks have found motivation through the break in knowing the challenges to come.
“When you’re off for eight days, there’s something on the other side of that eight days that’s gonna push you a little bit,” Staley said. “That’s what we have.”
South Carolina has spent the entirety of the 2021-22 season ranked at the top of the AP Top 25 poll and are ranked No. 2 in the most recent NET rankings, behind N.C. State. The Gamecocks have defeated eight ranked opponents, including two teams ranked No. 2, and suffered their lone loss in an overtime contest at Missouri on Dec. 30.
Staley said the Gamecocks have kept their goals in front of them: Win the SEC regular season, take that momentum into the SEC tournament and make a run in the NCAA tournament.
“We sit pretty good,” Staley said. “That’s without the ranking. Do we like being the number one team in the country? We absolutely do. Do we feel like we’re in a pressure situation because of it? No, and I like that about our team.
“They just come out wanting to win, knowing we’ve got the target on our back. We’re the hunted, and people give maximum effort. Even close games are celebrated by some of our opponents, so that’s what you’re dealt with. We’re embracing where we are (and) who we are as a program.”
How to watch South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
Who: No. 1 South Carolina (17-1, 5-1 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (10-9, 1-4)
When: Monday at 7 p.m.
Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
