Catch up on the best games, performances and more from another thrilling week of women’s college hoops:
The Gamecocks grind the Longhorns
Sunday marked the first of five-straight games against ranked SEC opponents for South Carolina. But, if Sunday’s result was any indication, the stretch will not be an impediment for the Gamecocks, but instead provide more evidence of their excellence.
In front of a sold-out crowd in Colonial Life Arena, the Gamecocks won their 67th-straight home game and record 51st-straight regular-season SEC game, obliterating visiting Texas, 67-50.
While the Longhorns can claim that it was just one of the those afternoons where everything went wrong, it appeared the Gamecocks benefitted from an intimidation factor that sent the visitors out of sorts.
The nation’s most efficient offense was rendered inept. With a team-wide 27.8 percent shooting mark from the field, it was Texas’ least efficient shooting performance since…the last time they played South Carolina, which occurred in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It was an extremely frustrating afternoon for Madison Booker, with the usually sweet shooting sophomore forward struggling to get anything to fall. She finished 3-for-19 from the field with seven points, hounded by South Carolina senior guard Bree Hall for most of the afternoon.
South Carolina, in contrast, shot efficiently, with senior guard Te-Hina Paopao and junior forward Chloe Kitts leading the team with matching 11-point efforts. Senior forward Sania Feagin added eight points and nine boards, while junior guard Raven Johnson had eight points and 10 rebounds.
That doesn’t mean head coach Dawn Staley will be satisfied. A preponderance of turnovers prevented South Carolina from enjoying an even more dominant victory. Too often, the Gamecocks opted for overly ambitious passes, especially when trying to enter the ball to their bigs on the block. A more measured approach might be necessary when they meet Alabama (Jan. 16), Oklahoma (Jan. 19), LSU (Jan. 23) and Tennessee (Jan. 27).
The Gamecocks also allowed the Longhorns to corral 20 offensive boards. Texas proved unable to make them pay, but the Tigers and Lady Vols, in particular, are two upcoming opponents who could.
Pitt pulls off historic comeback
It was a week full of upsets—and near upsets—in the ACC.
Virginia Tech knocked Georgia Tech from the ranks of the undefeated on Thursday. Then, the Jackets dropped a second-straight…
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