LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Destanni Henderson scored 22 points and Aliyah Boston added 20, including 10 in the third quarter to put South Carolina’s No. 5 ahead to stay while the Gamecocks rallied for a 75-70 victory over No. 10 Kentucky on Sunday night.
Gamecocks lost 41-32 in the break and 54-46 at the end of the third before closing the fourth with a 11-2 run, including five from Boston, for their first advantage from the opening minutes.
Boston and Henderson added four points each during a 12-2 spurt to open the quarter that helped resist the late Kentucky rally.
Chasity Patterson scored eight consecutive points to put Kentucky 69-68. LeLe Grissett responded with a baseline drive and Boston made a tray before Zia Cooke sealed it with two free throws with 10.3 seconds remaining.
The first place winner, South Carolina (8-1, 3-0 from the Southeast Conference), won the fifth consecutive time a few days after postponing a game against Georgia due to a positive test for coronavirus in the program.
Rhyne Howard had 32 points and Patterson and Dre’Una Edwards 12 each for the Wildcats (9-3, 2-2 SEC), who lost their second consecutive game in four consecutive games against the top 15 opponents.
CHALLENGING PLAYER
After sitting for most of the first half with a couple of initial absences, second year Aliyah Boston he crashed after the break scoring 10 points in the third to help Carolina regain the lead before the fourth period. Boston scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and pulled 12 rebounds to win his double-double fourth of the season and the second since the start of the conference.
KEY STAT
Carolina once again used her skill at the glass to overcome Kentucky’s 46-31 rebound, including a 17-15 lead on the offensive side. Although Gamecocks had just two more offensive boards than Wildcats, Garnet and Black made the most of these opportunities with a 23-10 lead on second chance points.
NOTABLES
- South Carolina dominated Kentucky in painting, beating Wildcats 56-34.
- Gamecocks had a 20-point scorer for the fourth time in so many games, and a pair of 20-point scorers for the second time in three conference games.
- Junior Destanni Henderson It was stable all night for Carolina, leading the team on the scoreboard for the second game in a row with 22 points tonight, in addition to her eight rebounds and six assists, her sixth consecutive game with five or more assists.
- Second year Aliyah Boston boosted Carolina’s rally in the second half, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the third quarter and ending the game with his double-double of the season after pulling 12 rebounds. His attack provoked recovery, but his blocking of a shot by Rhyne Howard with 51 seconds remaining and the Gamecocks leading by three showed how important his defense is as his attack.
- Second year Laeticia Amihere kept Garnet and Black in the middle with eight points in the first half on their way to 10 for the game.