No. 9/7 South Carolina fought through a competitive game against No. 11 Missouri team Sunday night, ultimately getting revenge and securing the 64-54 win.
The start of the game set the tone for the Gamecocks as they looked to gain the quick momentum needed to progress. Although it wasn't the cleanest game, head coach Dawn Staley is still happy with the outcome.
“I’m just happy to get the win ... and be healthy,” Staley said.
The competitiveness of both teams soon reached a point of hostility that resulted in a fight and caused two Missouri players to get ejected. Despite the tension, South Carolina did not back down. Even though the environment became very threatening for the Gamecocks, composure became their friend.
Following that altercation, Missouri continued to keep things close. Point guard Tyasha Harris was able to help her team to find their rhythm again just moments leading into the fourth quarter.
“I just let the flow of the game take over,” Harris said.
This turnaround pushed South Carolina’s drive even further both offensively and defensively. A’ja Wilson helped shutdown Missouri’s offense and didn't let the Tigers tear down her mindset by flipping the switch.
She had one thing on her mind: protect her teammates.
“My main focus coming in was: I just want to be on the court with my team,” Wilson said. “I want to make this team better and lead how I can and just be a good teammate, that was my biggest thing. I didn’t really care about what went on in the stat sheet ... I just wanted to protect my team.”
Redemption for South Carolina (18-3, 7-2 SEC) was instilled in each players mind as the team hasn't beaten Missouri in two years, including a tough loss earlier this month in Missouri.
“Anytime you lose to a team, there is a revenge factor and I thought that our team was on high alert to compete every play,” said Staley . “And not to give into fatigue, to not to give into anything that could happen on the floor and they did that.”
This win leads the Gamecocks into a tough stretch of strong opponents, looking next to No.1 UConn Thursday night.