The Daily Gamecock

Analysis: Second half surge lifts No. 1 Gamecocks over Missouri

Sophomore guard Zia Cooke shoots over a defender in South Carolina's win over Missouri. The Gamecocks improved to 16-2 on the season following the win.
Sophomore guard Zia Cooke shoots over a defender in South Carolina's win over Missouri. The Gamecocks improved to 16-2 on the season following the win.

After a troublesome opening quarter, the No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team pulled away and grabbed a 77-62 win over Missouri on Thursday night at Colonial Life Arena.

An 11-2 run in the third quarter got the ball rolling for the Gamecocks as the Tigers hung tight with South Carolina for the majority of the game. Junior guard Destanni Henderson scored seven of those points during that span.

South Carolina continued to pour it on in the final quarter, outscoring Missouri 19-12, which included an 11-0 run over four minutes.

“I feel like we needed to come out with a stronger start in the second half, just make baskets,” Henderson said. “Just really trying to find our groove and sometimes it just takes a little bit longer once we realized 'OK, this is what we’re doing wrong, this is how we can get better.'” 

Other Gamecocks also shined on the court and sophomore guard Zia Cooke lead South Carolina with 15 points. Sophomore forward Aliyah Boston continued to put up big numbers, scoring 11 points with 12 rebounds and four blocks.

LeLe Grissett also put on a show in the Gamecocks’ win. The senior guard put up nine points and was a huge factor in South Carolina pulling away from the Tigers by disrupting the Missouri offense. Grissett also hit her first career 3-pointer in the second quarter. 

“LeLe sometimes underestimates herself and what she means to our basketball team,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “We got her the ball, we got her some easy looks, that got her defense going to where she was disruptive in the full-court.” 

Dominant second half play from the Gamecocks was crucial after South Carolina struggled shooting from the field in the first half, most notably in the first quarter. The Gamecocks shot just 27% from the field compared to the Tigers’ 62%.

South Carolina stayed in the ballgame early on by getting to the penalty stripe frequently, drawing six Missouri shooting fouls in the first quarter. This lead to eight Gamecock points from the line and gave the Tigers only a minimal lead going into the second period.

South Carolina shot a lot better in the second quarter, shooting 47% from the field, knotting the game up at halftime.

The Gamecocks will have a quick turnaround this weekend as they face LSU in a rematch at Colonial Life Arena. On Jan. 24, South Carolina walked away from Baton Rouge with a narrow 69-65 victory.

Since that bout, LSU has gone 2-2 with wins over then-No. 22 Georgia and Ole Miss. Overall, the Tigers will be rolling into Columbia with an 8-9 record including a 6-5 mark in SEC play.

Tip-off between South Carolina and LSU is set for noon on Sunday and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.


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