Gamecocks rebound from first SEC loss with win over Alabama
Three days after dropping their first conference game to No. 17 Texas A&M, the No. 10 Gamecocks returned to the Colonial Life Arena Sunday, where they preserved their undefeated home record by beating Alabama 77-51.
South Carolina (17-2, 5-1 SEC) out-muscled the Crimson Tide (8-10, 1-4 SEC) all afternoon, using 28 combined points from junior center Elem Ibiam and freshman center Alaina Coates to remain locked in second place in the conference standings.
“For us, it was a great team effort on both sides of the ball. I think we had to figure out how to get our bigs the ball even when teams are playing the zone, even when they’re crowding our bigs’ space inside,” coach Dawn Staley said. “I think we made a conscious effort to do that. We just need that kind of effort each time we step on the floor.”
From the beginning, the Gamecocks looked to expose Alabama’s obvious height disadvantage by creating chances below the basket.
Ibiam paced the South Carolina offense early, scoring seven of the team’s first nine points.
The Gamecocks also used their height to eliminate any second chances off missed Alabama shots, of which there were plenty. The Crimson Tide managed to shoot 40 percent from the field in the first half, but watched that figure dwindle to a mere 27.3 percent in the second half, totaling 32.8 percent for the day.
The Gamecocks snagged 31 defensive rebounds, compared to only 14 by Alabama.
South Carolina took advantage of their own second chances as well, scoring eight points off 12 offensive rebounds.
With the team’s early offensive efficiency coming in the low post, the Gamecocks were able to pass the ball around to create chances elsewhere.
South Carolina shot seven of 12 from beyond the arc, and were able to turn in 30 field goals off 25 assists.
“We had an emphasis on getting the ball in the post and it would create [chances] for our guards,” Ibiam said. “We needed pressure off of us and [that got] us in a rhythm.”
At halftime, Staley was honored for her three Olympic gold medals and her induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
Redshirt freshman guard Tiffany Davis re-injured her shoulder late in the first half of Sunday’s game. She did not return, but Staley said that she may play Sunday against No. 16 Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks were leading 43-26 at halftime, and led by as many as 22 points in the first half.
With South Carolina coming off just their second loss of the season in a dogfight on the road against Texas A&M, Staley said that she was never concerned it would affect her team’s play today against the Crimson Tide.
“The last two days of practice, they practiced well,” Staley said. “They had a lot of energy. I had some residuals, you know, because I felt it was a game that we should have gotten, and it’s a game that I wanted just because getting road wins are a great thing. But I think our players set the tone for how the game was going to go, and we finished it for 40 minutes.”