South Carolina remained undefeated Sunday after facing the ranked Missouri Tigers. The Tigers and Gamecocks traded blows in a physical battle, but South Carolina dominated the scoreboard in an 83-58 victory.
With conference play in full swing, this game offered a resume-building opportunity for two teams with postseason aspirations. The value of this game was exemplified by the hard-nosed effort on display from both sides. It would be an understatement to say that uncontested baskets were hard to come by.
The Gamecocks celebrated a special moment early in the first quarter when junior center Alaina Coates eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark. Head coach Dawn Staley said, “The evolution of her has been a beautiful thing to see. To see her getting a milestone like getting 1,000 points early in her junior year is a tribute to the work she has put in.” Neither team clicked offensively in the first quarter, but South Carolina capitalized on their numerous free throw chances to take a 17-5 lead.
Senior guard Tiffany Mitchell battled with Missouri’s freshman sensation Sophie Cunningham in a critical matchup. Cunningham, who came into the game averaging 14.6 points, ran into foul trouble and eventually fouled out with 6:51 left in the fourth period. She finished with 9 points. Mitchell led South Carolina in scoring with 19 points.
Despite trailing 35-17 after the first half, Missouri came out with an excess of energy early in the third period. Finally finding their rhythm, the Tigers cut the deficit to 10 points, but eventually South Carolina’s physical advantages propelled them later in the period. Coates dominated on the glass and scored a
Sophomore A’ja Wilson recorded 11 points, 11 boards and 6 blocks. The number of blocks is especially eye-opening because Wilson’s greatest area for improvement since arriving on campus has been her defensive abilities. “I am trying my best to grow into a better defensive player. I think my teammates are doing a really good job of holding me accountable,” Wilson said.
The Tigers' emphasis on playing extremely physical defense put South Carolina on the line early and often with 34 total personal fouls. The Gamecocks capitalized, scoring 32 points from the line.
Missouri’s coach Robin Pingeton cited her team’s lack of poise as their Achilles' heel. Specifically, she pointed out the team’s high number of fouls. “We had way too many ticky-tack fouls that led to opportunities for them at the free throw line,” Pingeton said.