The entire college basketball world froze for about 20 minutes. Missouri women’s basketball (7-8, 3-7 SEC) went to South Carolina and gave number 1 Gamecocks (16-2, 11-0) a run for their money throughout the first half.
In the third quarter, the shock of the first half passed when South Carolina got off the swing in the locker room. After a successful pressure across the court and a much-needed offensive eruption, the chance of a turn has faded. With guard Zia Cooke in the lead, the Gamecocks beat the Tigers 77-62 on Thursday.
The chances of performing a miracle looked great in the first half for Missouri. The Tigers overcame the best team in the country by 20 to 16 in the first quarter and still kept things close at the end of the second. Leading this unexpected competition were the South Carolina transfer, Ladazhia Williams, and senior shipowner Shug Dickson.
Williams drew a new tool from his repertoire, hitting consecutive medium-range jumpers to make the attack roll for the Tigers. The lack of problems took the striker from 1.80 meters of play in most of the second and third quarters. However, he still managed to score 12 points, shooting 55.5% of the field. Dickson also exuded confidence on the court, lighting the defense with 15 points, nine of which on the three-ball.
“I thought we really fought,” said coach Robin Pingeton. “One of the things that I thought we did exceptionally well was the movement of the ball, especially in the first half. We didn’t force ourselves to look good, but we got a great look, made the extra pass and converted it. “
After hitting several buzzer beats in the first half, viewers would think they were watching a game in Columbia, Missouri, not in Columbia, South Carolina. However, that fiery first half failed quickly and Missouri ended the game by throwing 39, 7% of the field and 38.1% beyond the arc. Coach Robin Pingeton’s team almost proved they could go a long way against the best program in the country, but it wasn’t enough to deal with Gamecocks.
In the second half, South Carolina got into the driver’s seat and drove this straight home. Cooke, who in the first half struggled to get the chance, ended the match with 15 points. The second-year guard converted into layups that allowed his team to slowly move away from the Tigers. Cooke was one of four other Gamecocks to score double digits in Thursday night’s win. Aliyah Boston, averaging 13.9 points, got 11 points against the Missouri blocking defense.
In addition to South Carolina overcoming their offensive struggles, the Tigers were victims of pressure from across the court and general pressure from the defense. Out of the 11 Missouri turnovers, the Gamecocks scored 12 points. In the painting, the runway was packed with names like Boston and senior guard Lele Grissett. Boston ended with four blocks and Grissett had two, tying his game in blocks from a January 10 victory over Kentucky.
“There is a reason why they are number one in the country,” said Pingeton. “You have to give them a lot of credit. I think they increased their defensive intensity, kept it strong and they are so athletic. They have great rim protectors, so if you have a chance at the rim, they make conversion terribly difficult. ”
With imminent problems hanging over the scores from Missouri, Williams and Aijha Blackwell, the Tigers got the bank’s players to introduce themselves. Adding to Dickson’s 15 points, playmaker Lauren Hansen finished with eight points, hitting two out of 3 points. Shannon Dufficy, who also had some problems, contributed five points. Freshman striker Micah Linthacum managed to get into the game and record the minutes for the first time since December 20 against Southern Illinois.
Although the Tigers have not been able to pull the curve or keep this game as close as the other qualifying clashes they have had, Pingeton remains optimistic. Your team will return to play at 14:00 on Sunday against another team classified in the 24th position of Georgia (15-4, 9-2).