Following the No. 4 Gamecocks’ first home loss of the season on Monday, coach Dawn Staley described her team as resilient.
She knew it could bounce back from defeat and she was right, as USC rolled past No. 25 Kentucky 75-63 at Memorial Coliseum Thursday night.
Kentucky, known for its speedy guards, tried to set a fast pace early and make the Gamecocks take quick shots in transition. But junior forward A’ja Wilson came out hot with nine points and five rebounds in the first quarter to give USC a 20-15 lead.
The Gamecocks capitalized on nine Kentucky turnovers and forced five steals in the first half. Their offense found its touch behind the arc, sinking 5-of-11 three-pointers and putting up 16 in the paint. The USC bench contributed eight points in the first half, compared with Kentucky’s zero bench points. Behind an 18-0 run and 11 points from Wilson, USC extended its lead to 42-23 at the half.
In the third, USC kept its momentum alive with a 7-0 run and led by 24 at the 4:39 mark. Kentucky put together a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 17 going into the fourth.
Despite Kentucky’s run, the Gamecocks’ dynamic duo of Wilson and Coates kept the game out of reach with 20 points each. Junior guard Allisha Gray contributed 11 points, giving her double figures in each of her last eight games.
All-American guard Makayla Epps led the Wildcats with 23 points, but was frustrated by the South Carolina defense as she shot 8-of-22 from the field.
This win marks the Gamecocks’ fourth-straight against Kentucky, as they swept the Wildcats in the regular season and SEC Tournament last year. The two SEC teams will face off again to end the regular season in Columbia on Feb. 26.
The Gamecocks (19-2, 9-1 SEC) will hit the road to take on Arkansas at 2 p.m. Sunday.