The South Carolina women’s basketball team was able to pick up another road victory on Sunday afternoon, defeating Arkansas 61-52.
The key to South Carolina’s success was its play on the defensive end. The team was able to limit the Arkansas offensive attack, holding it to 28% shooting from the field. Senior forward Victaria Saxton was a bright spot on the defensive side of the ball, she totaled six blocks and nine rebounds in the game.
“She [Saxton] approaches the game like a pro,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “She’s waited her turn, and now her turn is being an integral part of our team.”
One area of the game the Gamecocks continue to dominate is rebounds. The team totaled 45 rebounds on the day compared to the Razorbacks' 25. Junior forward Aliyah Boston led the team with 13 rebounds, eight of which came on the defensive end.
Another key to South Carolina's success was its consistency. The Gamecocks field goal percentage was 43.97% on the season coming into the game, in their performance against the Razorbacks the team finished shooting 41% from the field.
Coming into the game, the Gamecocks were 22-18 all-time against Arkansas, with wins in 14 out of the last 15 matchups. Senior guard Destanni Henderson entered the game five points shy of reaching 1,000 career points. A few minutes into the first quarter, she scored two three-pointers and established herself as the third Gamecock this season to reach 1,000 points.
“She was that today,” head coach Dawn Staley emphasized. “You saw glimpses of her knocking down shots and pushing tempo.”
In addition to achieving a career milestone, Henderson ran the floor for the Gamecock offense and put up a season-high 19 points.
Alongside Henderson, Boston was also a big asset, delivering 19 points and 13 rebounds on the way to her 11th consecutive double-double game.
Now that the Gamecocks are well into their conference schedule, Staley said the team will look to improve on both sides of the ball and get into their best form while in-season.
“I think we have to work on ourselves,” Staley said. “Work on competing and completing drills and scrimmages and special situations.”
Up next, the 17-1 (5-1 SEC) Gamecocks will return home where they will play Vanderbilt on Monday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m. The game will be available on SEC Network.