WBB GAMEDAY THREAD: 1/2 South Carolina @ Ole Miss 01/30 at 8 P.M. | OXFORD, MISS. | THE PAVILION

[FeatheredCock]

WBB GAMEDAY THREAD: 1/2 South Carolina @ Ole Miss  01/30 at 8 P.M.  |  OXFORD, MISS.  | THE PAVILION​

WBB GAMEDAY THREAD: 1/2 South Carolina @ Ole Miss 

South Carolina Game Notes (PDF) // WATCH: SEC Network+ // LISTEN: 107.5 The Game // Live Stats // Media Availability
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ABOUT THIS GAME

• The Gamecocks are 23-17 all-time against Ole Miss, including a 13-2 mark in the Staley era.
  
• South Carolina has won the last 11 meetings, including five in Oxford with two coming at The Pavilion.
  
• A win tonight would lift the Gamecocks to 20-1 on the season, their best start since the 2014-15 squad opened the season 22-0 en route to the program's first NCAA Final Four
  
• A win would also make South Carolina 8-0 in SEC play for the first time since 2016-17, the season that capped the Gamecocks' run of four straight SEC regular-season titles.
  

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

• South Carolina has dominated the rebounding game this season, ranked third in the nation in rebounding average (47.5) and fourth in rebounding margin (+12.9). Their effort on the offensive glass – first in the nation in offensive rebounding rate (.448) – with the Gamecocks averaging 16.9 second-chance points on the season, including 18.4 in SEC games.
  
• The Gamecocks have built a reputation for taking command of games right from the opening tipoff. South Carolina has out-scored opponents in the first quarter by an average of 11.5 points this season, including a 12.0 average in SEC games. The number comes courtesy of both the Gamecocks' highest scoring average (23.0) and field goal percentage (.504) as well as the opponents' lowest scoring average (11.5) and field goal percentage (.288).
  
• South Carolina's high-octance offense has thrived in SEC play, leading the league with 89.0 point per game, compared to 80.9 points per non-conference game.
  
• Tyasha Harris was named espnW National Player of the Week for her efforts in a pair of Gamecock victories last week. The senior has found her scoring and distributing balance, and her command of the team and the game are why she is considered among the top point guards in the nation. In the last five games, Harris has averaged 14.0 points and 5.3 assists with a 3.6 assist-to-turnover radio and has shot 45.5 percent from 3-point range.
  
• Forward Aliyah Boston put herself at the top of the national freshman of the year conversation from the start of the season when she debuted with a triple-double. She is among the top five freshman in the nation in field goal percentage (.615, 2nd), blocks per game (2.8, 2nd), double-doubles (8, 3rd), offensive rebound average (3.9, 3rd) and rebounding average (8.9, 5th). Boston averages a double-double against ranked opponents (15.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg) and in SEC play (15.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg).
  

BY THE NUMBERS
3 Brea Beal is among the SEC's top 10 in three league-game stats – rebounds per game (6.6, 9th), steals per game (1.7, 10th), offensive rebs. per game (2.3, 9th).

4 Four Gamecocks rank among the SEC's top five offensive rebounders in league games – Boston (4.4, 3rd), Beal (2.3, 9th), Saxton (2.1, 11th) and Grissett (1.9, 15th).

15.6 Zia Cooke leads four Gamecocks averaging double-figure points in SEC games with her 15.6 points per game.

26.4 South Carolina's list of offensive weapons goes beyond the starting lineup as the bench averages 26.4 points per game – 31.5 percent of the offense.

45.1 Carolina averages 45.1 points in the paint in SEC games. The Gamecocks posted 60 in the paint against Kentucky (Jan. 2) and 50 at Georgia (Jan. 26).

63.6 Forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan has shot 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from 3-point range in SEC games this season.

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[ConwayGamecock]

BY THE NUMBERS

26.4 South Carolina's list of offensive weapons goes beyond the starting lineup as the bench averages 26.4 points per game – 31.5 percent of the offense.

This is what makes the Gamecocks so dominant this season: the bench contributions. The 26.4 ppg is the most since....well, last season's 26.7 ppg contribution, but last season was a season that saw constant flux in the starting rotation all year long, as Coach Staley and the staff tried to find a starting 5 that could be consistent and dependable. So, the starting unit averaged only 48.6 ppg. That team started 4-4 on the season, but settled down to go 19-6 the rest of the way, and 13-3 in the SEC, before falling in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual champion Baylor.

The previous season before that for bench contribution, was 2014-15. That season saw the reserves average a whopping 37.8 ppg, but that group happened to include the Dynamic Duo off the bench of freshman A'ja Wilson and sophomore Alaina Coates. Both of those players were in the top overall 3 leading scorers for the team, and along with leading scorer Tiffany Mitchell were the only scorers in double digits for the season. They accounted for 24.2 ppg of the total 37.8 bench ppg. The starting 5 that season only averaged 38.1 ppg - one of the most balanced offenses between the starting unit and the reserves. That team reached the Final Four, and only fell by 1 point to Notre Dame for the chance to play Connecticut for the National Title.

Currently, the starters consist of 5 players who have held their starting roles all season long. There has been zero flux in this unit, and they are averaging 57.4 ppg alone. This is the most points scored by the Gamecock starting unit since the 2017-18 unit, that averaged 59.5 ppg. That team had Wilson leading the way with 22.6 ppg. But the bench only provided 15.7 ppg that season, so there were a lot of pressure on the starters - especially on Wilson - to produce, or the team would struggle. That team reached the Elite Eight in Wilson's final season as a Gamecock.

The next team that had starters score at such a high rate of course was the 2016-17 team. That team had Wilson, Coates, plus Kaela Davis and Alisha Gray as starters. Ty Harris was the starter edging out Bianca Cuevas-Moore - she would gain starts that belonged to Coates after Alaina was lost just before tournament play - but Harris only averaged 5.6 ppg. The starters were strong enough every game to carry the team to the program's only national championship, averaging 62.3 ppg - the most prolific starting five under Coach Staley, but the bench only averaged a paltry 14.0 ppg.

So what I am saying here, is we have one of the strongest offensive starting units under Staley, while at the same time, we also have one of the strongest offensive benches too. And the bench does not just contribute in points, but in rebounds, blocked shots, assists, and steals. And while there's a lot of youth, they have been only improving in production and consistency as the season has progressed: Harris, Boston, and Cooke have been playing their best basketball in SEC play, and Herbert-Harrigan - while her rebounding has dropped off, her scoring is the same, but her 3-pt shooting accuracy is off the charts. The three-headed bench monster known as Victaria Saxton/Lele Grissett/Laeticia Amihere have combined for 16.2 ppg, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.1 steals per game, all while scoring at a combined 54.5% completion rate. Destanni Henderson meanwhile contributes 8.4 ppg herself off the bench, and is 2nd on the team in assists (2.7) and steals (1.5) per game.

This is IMO the most balanced and complete team Coach Staley has had since that 2014-15 Final Four team...

* Incidentally, the year after that season, in 2015-16 - was a strong team as well, and could make as good an argument for being balanced. The starters averaged 52.6 ppg, behind Wilson and Mitchell combining for 31.0 of those points, plus Coates' adding another 12.1 ppg. The bench added another 21.0 ppg, and that team won its first 22 games before falling to Connecticut 66-54 in CLA before a sold out arena. They would reach the NCAA with only that loss - go undefeated for the first time in SEC regular-season play, and reach the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAAT with that sole loss, before falling inexplicably to #4-Seed Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen, despite 31 pts from the Gamecock bench (17 alone from Tina Roy). That was considered an even stronger team than the previous FF team, and was thought to have all the pieces to go all the way. It would wait one more season...

 

[ConwayGamecock]

Game has gone thus far as should be expected, but not quite the way I expected it to: Gamecocks hold a commanding 32-2 lead at the half. That's right, the HALFTIME score is 32-2 South Carolina. Ole Miss has shown the tendency throughout the season to hold the scoring down, even in games where the outcome was bad.

It doesn't help their case when they hold the ball on possession, until the shot clock counts down to zeros on every.....single.....possession. Then, they don't even get a shot off before the shot clock violation, which they have had a number of them. So, it runs the clock down, and keeps the score from being explosive, but they don't score much from the effort. It's almost like UNC's old four corners offense, which was a stall tactic. It was mostly bad on their part offensively, but the overall scoring was low. Seems to be the case tonight for the Gamecocks.

The Rebels didn't get their lone score until less than a minute left to play in the half, when the score was 27-0. South Carolina has shot 13-30 (43%) from the field, which is a bit lower than their 48% season average, while Ole Miss has shot 1-20 (5%). The rebounding edge is also to USC 24-11, and Ole Miss has racked up 15 turnovers thus far. The Gamecocks have 8 turnovers of their own, but all 8 of those have come off of Rebel steals, so I'm sure one thing Coach Staley is talking to them about in the lockerroom right now, is better ball protection. Rebel freshman Jayla Alexander has 4 steals already....

Again, the score is 32-2 South Carolina at the half.....

 

[ConwayGamecock]

Harris and Herbert-Harrigan are the first Gamecocks to break 10 pts each in the game - they both have 10 pts. That's senior leadership!!

Gamecocks lead 44-6 halfway through the 3rd period.....

 

[ConwayGamecock]

Ole Miss finally shows some offensive life, and score 12 pts in the 3rd Period, but the Gamecocks have their best offensive quarter in the game with 25 pts themselves, and extend their lead to 57-14 through 3 Quarters. Coach Staley emptied her bench with 4 minutes left in the 3rd Period, but the offense continued....

 

[kingofnerf]

We win 87-32.

The entire 4th quarter was garbage time for us.

We good.

 

[ConwayGamecock]

The #1-ranked Gamecocks surge to 55 points in the 2nd half, and win going away 87-32 over the Mississippi Rebels. The Gamecocks win their 14th straight game, and improve to 20-1 on the season, and remain undefeated in SEC play at 8-0.

Reserve freshman Laeticia Amihere set her season high with 16 pts on 6-8 shooting, including 2-3 from behind the 3-pt. arc, and added 3 blocks. Seniors Ty Harris and Kiki Herbert-Harrigan each contributed 10 pts to the effort.

Now comes a return to Colonial Life Arena this Sunday, to take on the Lady Vols of Tennessee. Tip-off is at 1:00 am, more than enough time to fill up Colonial Life, beat the Vols, and return home for the Super Bowl festivities. That's a REAL Super Bowl Sunday!

 

[AikenGameFan]

This was a good warm up scrimmage for these next 3 games. UT and Ark. are both ranked opponents and after them we get UConn. Time to play every game like it is Tourney time because it will be that type talent . All 3 of these opponents should be in the show.

 

[kingofnerf]

I knew we were looking at a Final Four team when the Freshmen came in this year.

You could tell they had the quiet confidence and assurance that the best players have.  I am sure that's the way Dawn was when she played.

 

[USCMM]

I can't wait until Amihere gets a year in the weight room! This game really showed off her skills against inferior competition. She gets bounced around too much against good competition but with some muscle I think she'll perform similar to tonight's performance for every game.