South Carolina women's basketball routs Kentucky, avenges 2022 SEC championship loss
South Carolina women's basketball continued its nation-leading 22 game win streak with a 95-66 victory at Kentucky on Thursday. The Gamecocks have won 16 of their last 18 meetings with the Wildcats.
In their last matchup with Kentucky (8-9, 0-5 SEC), the No. 1 Gamecocks (17-0, 5-0) suffered just their second loss of the 2021-22 season in the SEC championship game 64-62. On Thursday, South Carolina had a brief moment of deja vu when it trailed the Wildcats by 10 in the second quarter but made a quick comeback before halftime to finish with a double-digit victory.
The Gamecocks' offense was anchored once again by Zia Cooke with 20 points, her third game with 20-plus this season. South Carolina had an above-average shooting night, going 63.6% from the field, 40% on 3-pointers and 79.3% on free throws. Free throws were a major factor in the victory as Kentucky shot just 43% from the line.
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Another record for Aliyah Boston
Reigning national player of the year Aliyah Boston hit a slump on the stat sheet at the start of SEC play, but she more than made up for it against Kentucky. For the second game in a row, Boston broke a career record for the Gamecocks: She became the career rebounding leader against SEC competition against Mississippi State on Sunday, and she broke the program's career offensive rebounding record at Kentucky with 449.
Boston also recorded her second consecutive double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, plus four blocks and three assists. Last season, she broke the SEC record for consecutive double-doubles held by former LSU star Sylvia Fowles with 24 in a row. She needs just four more this year to break the program record for career double-doubles.
Walker, Scherr take over for Kentucky
Kentucky's leading scorer Robyn Benton picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and spent most of the first half on the bench, but the Wildcats were just as effective without her. Oregon transfer Maddie Scherr was a ringer on 3-pointers, shooting 5-of-7 beyond the arc for a career-high 25 points and six assists.
Like they did against Anastasia Hayes and Jerkaila Jordan at Mississippi State, the Gamecocks struggled to contain 5-foot-7 guard Jada Walker's speed in the paint. Despite a massive height advantage for South Carolina, Walker put up 17 points and the Wildcats scored 32 points, nearly half of their total, in the paint.
Gamecocks take four quarters to secure win
South Carolina held the lead for 32 minutes to Kentucky's six, but the Wildcats didn't let the Gamecocks truly pull away until late in the game. Though South Carolina excels at making halftime adjustments, Kentucky kept the margin to single digits through the third quarter but was simply worn down defensively by the final minutes. The Gamecocks put up 36 of their 95 points in the fourth quarter behind a 16-0 run.
The Gamecocks struggled to maintain focus in the first half, giving up 11 points on eight turnovers while scoring just six points on Kentucky turnovers. The Wildcats also led in steals at halftime with five but had just two in the second half.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball beats Kentucky 95-66 in comeback
