The South Carolina Gamecocks hosted the Ole Miss Rebels and looked to continue their dominance in the conference. The Rebels, having won their last three games, looked to continue their win streak.
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 30-17 (15-4 at home). The Rebels last defeated South Carolina in 2009. They looked to not only hand South Carolina their first loss since that year, but also defeat a No.1 ranked team for just the second time in the program’s history.
Game Recap
The game started back and forth as neither team got off to a great start shooting the ball. Both teams took a total of 13 shots from the field (Ole Miss made 4 and South Carolina made 5). South Carolina found their rhythm in the second quarter by going on a 7-2 run to increase their lead to nine.
Ole Miss was not going down without a fight as they answered with a 9-2 run to cut the lead to one. But once again, the Gamecocks showed why they are the number-one team in the country. They ended the first half on an 8-0 run and never looked back.
When a great team is being tested, one of the biggest things they are told to do is stay calm and confident. South Carolina never allowed their frustrations to impact the game, and that is how the best teams win games.
Kamilla Cardoso missed a good portion of the first half due to getting into early foul trouble, but she did not let that faze her. She scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half as part of a 16-2 run that extended the lead to 16 points midway through the third quarter.
South Carolina continued to make big-time plays on both sides of the ball, and Ole Miss just did not have any answers. They were never able to get the game back within single digits, and South Carolina was too much for them.
Neither team shot the ball well from three, but it was the turnovers and points in the paint that made all the difference in the game along with contributions from the bench.
The Gamecocks scored 17 points off 21 turnovers, 50 points in the paint, 19 second chance points, 18 fast break points, and 50 points from the bench. They held the Rebels to just 23% shooting from the field (25% from three) in the fourth quarter.
Ashlyn Watkins finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds (only missed one shot). Raven Johnson only scored five points, but she led the team in assists with six. MiLaysia Fulwiley finished with 14 points, Te-Hina Paopao with 11 points, Bree Hall and Sania Feagin both with 10 points.
What’s Next
The Gamecocks will be heavily tested as head coach Dawn Staley revealed in the postgame conference that Kamilla Cardoso will miss the next two games to play for her home country Brazil in the Olympic qualifiers. Their next two matchups are at home against Missouri and UConn.
Photo Courtesy: X/ @GamecockWBB
