South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - Florida

South Carolina women’s basketball tips off a three-game homestand on Thursday against Florida. Find out how to watch and what to watch for.

1. Bounce back
The last time South Carolina lost, it bounced back with one of the most dominant defeats of a ranked opponent in AP Poll history. (It was a 76-36 rout of No. 15 Iowa State, ICYMI.)

This is a slightly different situation. South Carolina played poorly in the loss at UCLA. It didn’t play badly at Texas, though certainly there are things the Gamecocks wish they had done better.

“It shakes you a little bit because it’s so unfamiliar,” Dawn Staley said. “You think about where you need to improve. Most times we’ve lost, it’s more like an anomaly. That wasn’t us, that wasn’t our defense, that wasn’t our offense, more times than not, it was the opponent that did something to us.”

The important thing – and the thing they did after the UCLA loss – is to flush the bad feelings and get back to playing their game.

“We just need to get back confident at doing things the way we need to do things,” Staley said. 

2. Efficiency
I’m being intentionally vague here, but you and I will know it if we see it.

Efficiency is sort of all-encompassing, but it’s also something the Gamecocks have struggled with at times this season, especially at Texas. 

It was shooting just 37%, going 15-23 on free throws, 5-19 from three, and 12-26 on layups. It’s getting just six points off of 13 opponent turnovers. It’s making smart decisions in passing and shot selection. 

“We always find a way, no matter what outside people are saying, to find it within ourselves to come together,” Maddy McDaniel said.

Win tickets to the South Carolina-Arkansas women’s basketball game

3. Play 4 Kay
Thursday night’s game is South Carolina’s annual Play 4 Kay game in memory of former NC State coach Kay Yow. South Carolina will honor cancer survivors and raise awareness of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Fans are encouraged to wear pink. 

The annual game has taken on additional meaning since the death of former assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson on July 7, 2023. McCray-Penson battled breast cancer during her time on the staff at South Carolina.

4. Availability Report
Ashlyn Watkins is listed as Out for South Carolina.

Florida lists all players as available.

5. Scouting the Gators
Despite its .500 record, Florida has some talented pieces. 

6-6 senior Ra Shaya Kyle has developed into an efficient scorer (15.1 points) and double-double threat (9.3 rebounds). 6-4 freshman Me’Arah O’Neal isn’t as dominant as her father (5.1 points, 4.3 rebounds) but has been a nice compliment to Kyle.

Guards Jeriah Warren (12.5 points) and Laila Reynolds (10.8 points) each score in double figures, and Warren shoots just under 39% from three.

Florida’s best player is probably freshman Liv McGill. In most seasons, she would be a candidate for Freshman of the Year, but she is overshadowed by MiKayla Blakes and Joyce Edwards this season. McGill is the only freshman in the country with a triple-double this season, and she averages 16.4 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.5 rebounds.

“They can score,” Staley said. “They can put a lot of points on the scoreboard in a variety of ways. Most likely the paint, drivers, bigs that occupy a lot of space, transition.”

If scoring isn’t the Gators’ problem, then what is? Defense and turnovers.

Florida is giving up 69.8 points per game, the third-highest in the SEC. The only two teams allowing more are Tennessee and Arkansas, with their uptempo styles.

Florida also commits 16.8 turnovers, the second-worst mark in the league. The -1.92 turnover margin is 13th out of 16 teams.

Side note: Chloe Kitts’ younger sister Kylee is a member of the Gators team but is redshirting this season. Kylee graduated a year early so she could enroll this season and get a year of training in a college program.

Scoreboard watching
Which games tonight have an impact on the SEC championship race?

No. 3 Texas at No. 8 Kentucky (7 p.m. ET) – Kentucky’s loss to Ole Miss on Monday puts the Wildcats a game behind South Carolina, Texas, and LSU. Gamecock FAMs should root for a Kentucky win.

LSU has a bye.

The Ws
Who: No. 4 South Carolina (22-2, 10-1) vs Florida (12-12, 3-7)
When: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 13
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Watch: SEC Network

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