After a balanced first quarter, Gamecocks seemed to take charge of
the game, leading 37-21, with about a minute to go before the first half. THE
Vols scored the final four points to reduce the lead to 37-25 at halftime. THE
Gamecocks beat Lady Vols, 21-9.
The Gamecocks were shooting
very efficient 46 percent of the field, committed only 7 turnovers, scored
24 points in the painting and hit Tennessee’s biggest team 24-18
in the break. While SEC nominee Rae Burrell,
form with Gamecocks in the first half, Rennia Davis was goalless, UT’s
height didn’t bother Gamecocks, and Gamecocks had a 12-
points advantage despite only getting 5 points from Boston and second year guard
Zia Cooke hitting only 2 to 11 shots in the first half. Everything seemed to point to
this is South Carolina night.
All of that changed in the third quarter. Davis started offensively while
being defended by post-player Victaria Saxton. It was a strange confrontation.
Saxton struggled all season when asked to get rid of the pain for
guard the basketball. Once Davis found his rhythm, it didn’t matter who
protected her, she was unstoppable. Score 13 points in the third, and
ending with a game of 24 points. For some reason, Staley changed
Saxton was gone with another guard, Jordan Horston, who also effectively caught
Saxton left the jump on his way to 12 points, eight of them in the
decisive second half.
Meanwhile, Gamecocks were again haunted by
failed layups, failing to shoot at close range six times in the third quarter,
which helped fuel Tennessee’s return. The Vols went on a
15-2 runs in the third quarter, which changed the momentum forever, cutting a
44-29 lead to just 46-42, with three minutes to go to the end of the third period.
Another Vol run, this time an 8-3 spurt in a two-minute stretch, gave the
Vols leads with 51-50 with a minute to go. While
Carolina got a 54-53 lead in the last 10 minutes, the Vols
charged all the momentum, shooting a 10-17 red hot from the field, while the
Gamecocks were only 5-16 on the pitch, despite taking a good look
the rim.
Vols took the lead with 64-62 with 4:31 to the end. The closest to
Gamecocks would come the rest of the way it was 68-65 with 1:38 to go on a
Zia Cooke free throw. Gamecocks seemed disorganized in attack
in the final stretch, I had no sense of urgency and little understanding of what
Coach Dawn Staley wanted her team to do the job, often
having to zero the attack or restart a defined play while trying to catch players
in the right places. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least.
After the game, Staley didn’t measure words at the end of the sequence and
your team’s game after the break. “They beat us, without if, neither, nor but
about this. They put us on our heels. They made great plays, made
basketball match. And we don’t. “