#3 South Carolina women's basketball's swarming defense shuts down #9 TCU
#3 South Carolina stymied #9 TCU for a dominant 85-52 win, the Gamecocks’ second consecutive win over a top-ten foe.
The Horned Frogs entered the game with one of the nation’s top offenses. They were 17th in scoring (85.1 points), fourth in assists (21.6), 23rd in field goal percentage (48.4%), tenth in three-pointers per game (10.3), and second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.06).
TCU had scored at least 76 points in every game this season and hadn’t been held to single digits in any quarter. Until Sunday.
South Carolina held TCU to a season-low nine points in the second *and* third quarters. The 52 total points were less than TCU scored in the first half against New Orleans. TCU shot just 33.3%, had just 11 assists, made just 5-19 threes, and had 20 turnovers (nearly a 2:1 turnover-to-assist ratio).
South Carolina turned its smothering defense into easy offense. A 7-0 first-quarter run broke open a tie game. Then South Carolina started the second quarter with a 10-0 run and ended it with an 11-0 run to turn the game into a blowout by halftime.
The Gamecocks shot 50.8% for the game (it was over 54% before Dawn Staley emptied the bench in the fourth quarter). They went 8-20 from three and 17-19 from the line and had 18 assists against just 12 turnovers.
All 12 available Gamecocks played, and 10 of the 12 scored. MiLaysia Fulwiley led four double-digit scorers with 20 points. She also guarded Hailey Van Lith and had three steals and a block.
“I just told myself it starts in practice and with defense,” Fulwiley said in a postgame television interview. “I’m not just a scorer I’m a great defender.”
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Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson each added 11 points, and Tessa Johnson had 10 points.
Van Lith was the only TCU player who had any success on offense. She finished with 21 points and six assists, but only shot 7-17 and had five turnovers. South Carolina held 6-7 Sedona Prince, who averaged over 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks, to just six points, two rebounds, and one block. Along with Taylor Bigby (2-3), they were the only TCU players who made more than one basket.
Late in the first quarter, Prince blocked a layup attempt by Ashlyn Watkins. Watkins ran back on defense and came from behind to steal the ball from Madison Conner.
Watkins controlled the ball in the backcourt and by the time she crossed mid-court it was clear she was lining up the dunk.
Prince tried to chase Watkins down. At 6-7, she is the nation’s leading shot-blocker, and she almost caught Watkins, but she only brushed by her while she dunked.
“We knew she was going to dunk that. After she got blocked she was psyched up,” Fulwiley said.
Watkins also dunked against Kentucky last season. Officially, Watkins dunked twice during her freshman season. She first dunked against Clemson and then rattled in a layup against Charleston Southern that was scored as a dunk.
Notes:
Sakima Walker was not available due to an ankle injury. She did not play against Purdue or Duke. … Aliyah Boston attended her second consecutive game. She sat near Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale. … Freshman Adhel Tac played in the fourth quarter. She is from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. … Chloe Kitts only had four points, but had a game-high 12 rebounds. … Dawn Staley’s outfit: Staley wore a black and gold Louis Vuitton jacket and pants. … Announced attendance was 8,004. … South Carolina has exams this week. The next game is next Sunday against South Florida.
