Although the Razorbacks stuck around for most of the game, a 62-point second half propelled No. 4 South Carolina over No. 15 Arkansas Monday night at Colonial Life Arena with a final score of 104-82.
Sophomore forward Aliyah Boston led South Carolina in scoring and rebounds with 26 points and 16 rebounds, securing one of two Gamecock double-doubles. Junior guard Destanni Henderson also stood out, accounting for 14 points and a career-high 10 assists.
After being down at the end of the first half, the South Carolina offense as a whole shot rather well in the second half, shooting 65.8% compared to Arkansas’ 47.2% in a game where the Gamecocks struggled pulling away from the Razorbacks in the first half.
“[Arkansas] can shoot the ball really well, so they’re never out of the game because they can just hit a couple threes here and there and the next thing you know, it’s a four-point game or a five-point game. So we just kept going at them,” Boston said.
10 crucial Gamecock turnovers led to Arkansas scoring 11 points and holding the Gamecocks to just 41.7% shooting from the field.
“That’s just from us playing too fast,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “We have to be patient, we have to be willing to give the one more, give up an open shot for a better shot just so we can set up our transition defense.”
The Razorbacks were also able to remain in striking distance of the Gamecocks’ lead in the first quarter as Arkansas redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee got the best of the South Carolina defense with nine points, accounting for more than half of the Razorbacks’ opening quarter total.
However, the Gamecocks were able to slow down Dungee in the second as she only shot 2-for-7 in the quarter and only scored 13 more points the rest of the game.
And while Dungee and the rest of the Razorbacks struggled to score later on in the game, the Gamecocks took the opportunity in the second half to light up the scoreboard. Boston and sophomore guard Brea Beal led the way in the second half, finishing with 15 and 13 points respectively, and all seven other Gamecocks scored, too.
Monday's win over the Razorbacks gives the Gamecocks their 21st straight SEC win and their fifth conference win of the season. This also gives South Carolina its fourth win over a ranked opponent this season, with its lone loss coming from No. 2 NC State.
Monday night's game marked the fourth time this season the Gamecocks surpassed 100 points in a game, exceeding last season’s total of three games.
Who’s next?
The Gamecocks will now turn their attention to another ranked opponent: No. 22 Georgia. The Lady Bulldogs are coming off a 73-57 win over Ole Miss on Sunday with a 12-1 overall record and 4-1 in SEC play.
Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday night at Colonial Life Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.