They'd been surviving against inferior opponents, but the No. 4 Gamecocks finally faltered in conference play Monday against Tennessee. Some of South Carolina's recurring problems from recent games reared their ugly heads against the Volunteers, which might not be the worst thing at this time of the season.
We can debate about Tyasha Harris' foul that gave Tennessee the decisive lead (from my angle, it looked like a travel rather than a blocking foul), but the Gamecocks shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. A'ja Wilson and Alaina Coates found themselves in early foul trouble, and neither were able to play more than 24 minutes. Wilson got an uncharacteristic technical foul in the third quarter, and the Vols took advantage with a 7-point swing before she re-entered in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina had some defensive lapses as well, none more detrimental than allowing the visitors to score on six straight possessions in the fourth quarter, including an 11-0 run to push the lead to double-digits. The post defense in particular was a problem, as playing without Coates and Wilson for stretches resulted in surrendering 38 points in the paint.
There were certainly some positive takeaways from Monday's loss as well. Down 9 with 4 minutes left, the Gamecocks went on a tear, coming all the way back with a 14-7 run led by 8 points from Bianca Cuevas-Moore, including a deep three to tie the game. With key players in foul trouble, South Carolina played tight defense and executed on the other end, playing with plenty of fight as the team attempted to come back.
There's never a good time to lose a game, but late January is one of the better ones. If the Gamecocks are able to win out in SEC play (tough games remain, including two against Kentucky), they'll still top the SEC standings come the end of the season. Tennessee has beaten four ranked teams this year, including three in the top 10, so this loss won't hurt South Carolina too much when the committee is determining 1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament.
Now, with eight games remaining before postseason play begins, the Gamecocks have some extra motivation to rebound from a tough loss. There shouldn't be any problem finding energy for three of the remaining games (both with Kentucky and one with UConn), but it's how South Carolina treats the other five that will be interesting. The Gamecocks had a tough time in both games against an inferior Georgia team this year, and there are other talented teams left on the schedule.
This is a relatively young team, but there are experienced players who have been in this situation before, just like head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks likely would've been fine anyway, but a loss to a supposedly inferior team should light a fire under the players to shore up some of the team's recurring issues. They'll be better for March and (fans hope) April.