COLUMBIA, SC – Aliyah Boston is trying to make his mark on a South Carolina program that featured stellar graduate players like A’ja Wilson and Alaina Coates.
Boston now has its own milestone with the first double triple of Gamecocks in games at the Southeastern Conference. The second year of the second year, 1.80 meters, ended with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks, while No. 4 in South Carolina defeated No. 22 in Georgia 62-50 on Thursday night.
“She wants to leave her own legacy in South Carolina,” said coach Dawn Staley. “I think she is very special.”
Certainly, his game lately is special and equal to that of the first teams from All-SEC Wilson and Coates.
She averaged 17 points, 12 boards and five blocks in her last six games and was dominant in leading the Gamecocks (11-1, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) to her 25th consecutive win over the league competition.
Boston thought she had gone up a block before the milestone, returning in the fourth quarter after statistics showed she was nine blocks away.
Boston replaced in the fourth period, when coach Dawn Staley told her, “You need to get a block.”
“So I came back and, of course, I didn’t get a block,” said Boston. “And I said, ‘Wow, there it goes.’ Then they said, ‘You still made it’, and I said, ‘Wow’.
A review of the footage found that Boston had blocked an untold Jenna Staiti shot.
Team spokeswoman Diana Koval confirmed the milestone, the first triple-double of the SEC game program.
“I’m not surprised,” said Staley. “This is probably not the last double triple that she will have.”
South Carolina’s top scorer Zia Cooke came out of a drop in scoring with 16 points when the Gamecocks won their 13th straight win over the Lady Bulldogs (12-2, 4-2)
Boston scored 26 points, 16 bags and six blocks last Monday night, while South Carolina rolled over No. 15 Arkansas 104-82.
Boston debuted last season with a double triple and got his second with a block from Mikayla Coombs with 1:35 remaining in the third quarter.
For Cooke, the team’s top scorer, it was a welcome performance, after hitting just 7 of 26 with 25 points combined in the last three games.
South Carolina came in playing well, hanging over 100 points from their last two opponents at Vanderbilt (who has since given up on the season) and the qualified Razorbacks. But Georgia, which leads the SEC in the fewest points allowed, has kept Gamecocks out of the way since the beginning.
South Carolina missed five of its first six shots and struggled to find an open look from the start. Then Cooke made three consecutive shots and Boston made four consecutive points for a 22-10 lead.
Boston and Cooke, part of South Carolina’s No. 1 recruiting class two years ago, returned just before halfway through. Boston got the first 3 points of the game and Cooke won the bell in a short run that sent the Gamecocks to the locker room by 30-18.
The 30 points were the lowest in a first half for Gamecocks, as they lost to second place in the state of North Carolina by 21-20 on December 3. They would end up losing 54-46, their only loss in the past two seasons.
Jenna Staiti led Georgia with 15 points.
Georgia coach Joni Taylor said the team’s 23-season return high was the result of South Carolina’s rigid defense.
“Everyone talks about their firepower,” said Taylor. “But they are one of the best defensive teams in the country.”
THE GREAT IMAGE
Georgia: Lady Bulldogs’ first trip to the Top 25 in two seasons is likely to be a short stay. Georgia was likely to turn 23 points into the season and hit just 31 percent (19 of 62) against defensive-minded Gamecocks. Georgia had its lowest total score this season.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks have trampled the SEC for the past two seasons, and with Boston performing at the SEC’s Player of the Year caliber, it could continue its dominance over the league.
TURNOVER PROBLEMS
The Gamecocks also struggled to care for the ball with a record of 20 laps this season. Where the team paid off was in defense, which limited Georgia to just seven points of those errors. “It was great to have defended our spins,” said Staley.
SELLING BOSTON
Taylor, from Georgia, said Boston arrived in South Carolina with the skills of a professional and has improved his game over the past two seasons. “I don’t like to play against her, but she is fun to watch,” said Taylor.
NEXT
Georgia plays 15th place in Arkansas at home Monday night.
South Carolina faces LSU on Sunday.
Boston’s leading triple-double room in Gamecocks over Georgia originally appeared on NBCSports.com