Women’s basketball to take on Clemson Sunday
Dawn Staley wants her players to do as she says, not as she does.
The women’s basketball coach said the upperclassmen on the team have not talked to the four freshmen about the rivalry with Clemson yet because they are focused on preparing for Thursday’s game against Savannah State. The Gamecocks will face the Tigers at home on Sunday.
But Staley acknowledged she’s already started to think about Clemson. She said the Tigers are a better team than the Gamecocks as far as talent and added that she’s glad the game is taking place at the Colonial Life Arena.
Even after a dominant road win against Louisiana Tech on Monday, USC is not worried about being overconfident when it takes on Savannah State at 7 p.m.
“I think what we do in practice keeps them humble,” Staley said. “We’re not playing our best basketball. We shouldn’t be at this point. But we feel very comfortable in what we’re doing from an offensive standpoint.”
The Gamecocks found their offensive rhythm early in their 82-58 win on Monday despite the absence of sophomore center Elem Ibiam, who had a minor injury in practice. Staley said Ibiam will not play against Savannah State as a precaution.
Ibiam’s injury opened up an opportunity for additional playing time for junior transfer Wilka Montout. She responded with 12 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes on the floor.
“[Montout’s] biggest adjustment is just being selfish and aggressive,” Staley said. “I think Wilka is pretty skilled. She can pass the ball, but her first thought isn’t shooting the ball. We have to get her to shoot the ball, and other things will open up.”
One of South Carolina’s offensive strengths has been its ability to get points in transition, something Staley said the team does not usually establish until later in the season. She added that the ability to create offense from defense has been a plus, but the Gamecocks need to improve their execution in the half-court in their upcoming games.
Freshman guard Tiffany Mitchell said the Gamecocks have also focused on rebounding in order to avoid giving up second-chance points. Rebounding was critical for the Gamecocks in their season-opener against Elon, when they shot 50 percent from the free throw line but were able to rebound many of the shots they missed.
USC’s free throw shooting improved to 64 percent against Louisiana Tech, but Staley called that aspect of the game the team’s “nemesis.” She singled out senior Ashley Bruner, who has made just two of eight attempts on the season, joking that the team’s scoring average will improve if Bruner can shoot 50 percent.
Staley described the Savannah State team as a “very athletic group” and said the biggest challenge it will present is posting up South Carolina’s guards.
“We’ll get to see some things that we haven’t seen in that our guards will have to defend on the block, in the post,” Staley said. “We’re anxious to see how we challenge [when we’re] challenged in that area.”
Even with the rivalry game against Clemson coming up, Mitchell said the Gamecocks have not allowed their focus to drift ahead to Sunday.
“We’re just taking one game at a time,” Mitchell said. “We’re focused on getting the win [Thursday].”