South Carolina women's basketball clinches SEC title with win over Tennessee

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South Carolina trailed by ten in the first half, but Zia Cooke sparked a comeback and the Gamecocks beat Tennessee 73-60 to claim the SEC regular season championship.

South Carolina got off to a horrible start on offense. The Gamecocks went scoreless for the final 4:44 of the first quarter, missed nine straight shots, and had almost as many turnovers (four) and field goals (5-20 shooting). 

Tennessee led 19-10 after the first quarter and then 26-16 with 6:37 left in the second quarter. Then Zia Cooke happened. 

Cooke scored eight straight points, including the Gamecocks’ first two three-pointers. That opened up the paint for Brea Beal and Kamilla Cardoso to make layups, and South Carolina ended up with a 17-0 run to take control of the game. 

South Carolina had runs of 9-0 and 8-0 in the third quarter to push the lead to 59-41 going into the fourth quarter. Tennessee started the fourth on a 10-2 run, but then each time the Lady Vols threatened to get closer, Cooke made a basket or came up with a defensive play.

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Cooke finished with 19 points, two assists, two rebounds, and a big fourth-quarter steal.

Tennessee was determined not to let Aliyah Boston have her way, so the Lady Vols double and triple-teamed Boston, often without the ball. It took the Gamecocks a while to adjust, but once they figured out their spacing, Boston was able to create open shots by drawing all of the defensive attention away from the shooters.

Kierra Fletcher was one of the biggest beneficiaries. She scored a season-high 15 points and went 2-2 from three after entering the game 2-15 all season. Fletcher tied her season-high with 26 minutes played, as Dawn Staley stuck with the veteran instead of freshman Raven Johnson

Brea Beal continued her late-season surge with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and a game-high five assists. It was Beal’s first double-double of the season and the second of her career. She has scored in double figures in three of the last four games.

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Boston finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and four blocks.

After four turnovers in the first quarter, South Carolina finished with just seven for the game. The Gamecocks shot 40% and held Tennessee to 37%. And of course, the Gamecocks dominated the glass. South Carolina was plus-14 rebounding and had 18 second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds. 

Rickea Jackson led Tennessee with 21 points, her fifth straight game with at least 20. Jordan Horston added 14 points and 11 rebounds, but the pair went a combined 12-31 shooting.

South Carolina clinched at least a share of the SEC regular-season championship and the top seed in the SEC tournament. LSU is only a game behind South Carolina and could still claim a share if the Gamecocks lose. 

The regular-season title is South Carolina’s second in a row, third in four years, and seventh in ten years. South Carolina has tied Georgia for the second-most in league history, trailing Tennessee’s 18.

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Notes:

Boston gave everyone a scare in the fourth quarter when she came up limping after a shot attempt. It was only a cramp and she returned to the game. … Talaysia Cooper was not available due to an illness. … Johnson finished with five points in 13 minutes. … Cardoso only scored six points but had 15 rebounds. … Aliyah Boston braids report: Boston continued to sport red braids with pink highlights. … Dawn Staley fit report: Staley wore a silver jacket over a white “Be the Match” t-shirt. … Announced attendance was 10,297. … South Carolina’s next game is Sunday against Georgia. It is the final game of the regular season and Senior Day. The game is sold out.

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