South Carolina women's basketball: Zia Cooke leads rout of Auburn
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South Carolina got off to a fast start and cruised to an 83-48 win over Auburn. The win sets up a highly-anticipated battle of unbeatens Sunday against LSU.
South Carolina won its school-record 30th consecutive game, breaking a tie with Auburn for the third-longest streak in SEC history. Tennessee holds the record with 46 consecutive wins from 1996-98. Mississippi State holds the second-longest winning streak with 32 (2017-18). That streak was bookended by losses to South Carolina.
The Gamecocks never trailed and broke the game open with an 8-0 first quarter run that displayed their depth. Victaria Saxton started the run with a pair of free throws, and then Brea Beal finished it with a pair of layups.
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From there the lead only grew – to double figures at the end of the first quarter, more than 20 at halftime, and by 30 in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina played 12 players in the first half, and 13 in the game Eight players scored in the first half alone, including all five starters, and 11 players scored overall.
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Zia Cooke tied for the game-high with 15 points, breaking out of a shooting slump by hitting 5-8 shots. Aliyah Boston and Saxton each scored ten points. Boston only had eight rebounds, snapping a streak of eight consecutive double-doubles.
Despite that, South Carolina outrebounded Auburn 50-26 and had 19 second-chance points.
Auburn was without leading scorer Aiicha Coulibaly and reserve forward Precious Johnson. That left Honesty Scott-Grayson, who missed the first game between the two teams, as the offensive focus. It also meant she had to go against Beal.
Scott-Grayson scored just four points on 2-11 shooting. Freshman Sydney Shaw tied her career-high with 15 points.
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Notes:
Kierra Fletcher hit a three early in the third quarter, making her 2-14 on the season. … Chloe Kitts was the only Gamecock that did not play. Talaysia Cooper only played one minute at the end of the first half. … After playing 36 minutes against UConn, Raven Johnson only played eight minutes. She had one assist and one rebound. … South Carolina was only credited with five blocks, and several apparent blocks were not counted. … Aliyah Boston braids report: Boston wore her blue braids with teal highlights. … Dawn Staley fit report: Staley wore a Brian Dawkins Eagles jersey under a black blazer. … Announced attendance was 2,860. … South Carolina’s next game is Sunday against LSU.
