Gators rally in final seconds, drop South Carolina back below .500 in conference play
USC ended a nine-game home winning streak with a 65-63 defeat at the hands Florida on Sunday, marking the team's second loss at the Colonial Life Arena this year.
Carolina came into the game riding the momentum from a 63-61 victory against LSU on Thursday. On Sunday, however, the Gamecocks couldn't pull out another close win.
The game went back and forth down the stretch with several lead changes in the final three minutes. USC held a 59-57 lead with just over three minutes to play after two consecutive 3-pointers by senior Valerie Nainima.
They briefly gained the lead again after sophomore Iesia Walker answered a Florida basket with two free throws.
Florida's Jordan Jones then drilled a three with a minute and a half left to play before USC took the lead again on a La'Keisha Sutton basket. After the Gators' Deana Allen missed a shot and the ball went out of bounds, the Gamecocks had possession and a chance to seal the game with 19 seconds left.
But the inbound was intercepted by Florida's Lanita Bartley, who made a layup and a free throw that gave the Gators a final lead change.
"We just have to learn from our mistakes," Walker said. "There were a lot of plays you could pinpoint, fakes — it could have been the changing point in the game, where we win. You have to try to get a lead instead of having these close games."
USC was paced in the first half by Walker, Sutton and freshman Ashley Bruner. Walker was the top scorer with 11 points, while Sutton and Bruner contributed nine and eight, respectively. Junior Charenee Stephens led the team in rebounds with five.
The Gamecocks were ahead by five points or more on three separate occasions only to watch the Gators close the gap each time. At the half, the score was tied at 31.
But in a close second half, the Gator defense made it tough for USC to drive to the basket and forced the Gamecocks to take jump shots they had trouble making.
"We stopped attacking the basket in the second half," said Walker, who finished the game with 22 points. "We were hitting the three, but we were trying to force it inside, and it wasn't working."
USC coach Dawn Staley was also concerned about her team's offensive play in the second half.
"Our offense got a little stagnant," she said. "I thought [Florida's] full-court pressure backed into our half-court stuff, and they settled in their zone. We just took too much time off the clock unnecessarily. So that bothered us. We took good shots; we just didn't make them."
The Gators, who were coming off a 73-56 loss to Auburn on Thursday, were led by redshirt junior Ndidi Madu, who finished with 17 points, and freshman Jaterra Bonds, who recorded 11. Sophomore Jennifer George contributed 10 rebounds.