Lady Gamecocks lock down on struggling Alabama squad
Following USC's 71-56 loss to No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday, coach Dawn Staley attributed the result to her team's inability to make shots despite executing its game plan well.
Against an Alabama team winless in SEC play, the Gamecocks still struggled with shooting but used strong defense in a 59-48 victory. It marks the team's third SEC win of the season.
"We watched film on [Alabama], and the teams that have been successful against them played [zone defense] because it really slows their offense down," senior Jewel May said. "So we practiced zone this week, and I guess [Staley] felt confident that we could slow down that team."
Carolina held the Crimson Tide to a field goal percentage of 30.4 and outrebounded the SEC cellar-dwellers 49-27 en route to the victory.
"We're playing very good basketball teams," Staley said. "Alabama hasn't really gotten off to a winning start in the SEC, but they're a very formidable opponent. What's not happening in the win column — things are happening on the floor. They're stronger than they look."
After building a 33-25 lead in the first half, USC let Alabama stay uncomfortably close, narrowing its deficit to three at 39-36 before the Gamecocks went on a 9-0 run. USC had three players in double figures for scoring. Sophomore Ieasia Walker and junior Markeshia Grant scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, while May recorded her second career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"Tonight was just a good night for rebounds," May said. "It was raining rebounds. But really it was just about the coaches focusing on me taking my time. I tried to relax. It worked out today."
On the offensive side, the team focused on aggressive play and drives to the lane to balance out its jump shots. USC had 30 points in the paint against the Crimson Tide.
"We don't have a good balance of taking shots and driving to the basket," Staley said. "Once we get pretty good at recognizing that, I think we'll be able to score a little bit more and put more pressure on our opponents' defense."
Junior La'Keisha Sutton had a low-scoring game but distributed the ball well, collecting five assists. Classmate Courtney Newton didn't score but was a solid presence on defense with two blocked shots and a steal in 20 minutes of play.
"If you look at [Newton's] stat line, it really doesn't jump off the page," Staley said. "But what she's bringing to our basketball team is toughness. She doesn't back down from anybody. She understands how we want to play. I think it's been time for us to play her a little bit more.
"I don't know if she was ready early on to play as many minutes as she's playing now, but I think she can finish strong from here on out."