Gamecocks at Rebels Sunday Afternoon

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1/1 South Carolina women’s basketball opens its last two-game road swing in SEC action on Sunday at Ole Miss. The Gamecocks and Rebels are set to square off at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

The Ole Miss Series
South Carolina leads the all-time series 28-17 after winning the last 16 meetings and 18 of the 20 meetings since Dawn Staley was named head coach ahead of the 2008-09 season.

The Gamecocks have won their last seven games in Oxford dating back to a 63-58 overtime win on Jan. 16, 2011. 

South Carolina topped Ole Miss in all three meetings last season, claiming a 69-40 victory in Columbia (Jan. 27), a 71-57 win in Oxford (Feb. 27) and a 61-51 decision in the SEC Tournament semifinals in Nashville (Mar. 5).

By the Numbers

21.8 – South Carolina leads the country in block rate, swatting away 21.8 percent off its opponents’ two-point field goal attempts.

37.8 – The Gamecocks have allowed SEC opponents to shoot just 37.8 percent in the paint this season.

47.7 – South Carolina’s bench accounts for 47.7 percent of its total offense this season (39.4 ppg).

Gamecock Notables

• While South Carolina’s defense remains one of the best in the country, the offense has matched that status this season. The Gamecocks’ 17 games of at least 80 points (9 in SEC action) is more than double its total off seven such games last season and includes six games of at least 90 points.

• The Gamecocks are scoring 11.8 points per game more this season than their 2022 National Championship season, thanks in large part to the five returning bench players who are averaging a cumulative 12.4 points per game more this season. Kamilla Cardoso (+4.4) and Sania Feagin (+4.2) have made the biggest leaps.

• South Carolina’s 47.3 percent shooting this season is its best since its first National Champion season (2016-17) when the Gamecocks shot 47.5 percent.

• Reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston’s case to repeat is being made by opposing coaches who game plan centers around shutting her down as the way to beat the Gamecocks, throwing vast resources at her. Still, the senior is the only player in the country ranked in the top five in both player offensive and defensive ranking, leading the SEC in both categories (Her Hoop Stats).

• Senior guard Brea Beal’s improved offensive production this season has been in overdrive the last five games, averaging 9.0 points on 53.3 percent shooting, including 8-of-17 (.471) from 3-point range, while handing out 2.0 assists per game.

• Junior Kamilla Cardoso’s case for SEC Sixth Woman of the Year continues to grow. Playing just 16.7 minutes per SEC games, the center is third in the league with 8.5 rebounds per game, second in blocks at 1.9 per game and fifth in offensive boards with 3.0. Averaging 9.7 points per league game, she has netted 12.0 points per game over her last five outings on 66.7 percent shooting.

Quarter Breakdown
South Carolina‘s defense has held an opponent to single digits in a quarter 31 times this season. The Gamecocks have out-scored their opponent by 15 or more points in a quarter 22 times. The scoring differential is largest in the second quarter (+9.2).

Individually, six Gamecocks have scored double digits in a single quarter – Zia Cooke (6), Kamilla Cardoso (4), Sania Feagin (3), Aliyah Boston (2), Talaysia Cooper (1) and Ashlyn Watkins (1). The top single-quarter individual scoring this season is 15 points by Cooke in the fourth at Georgia (Jan. 2).

Beyond Basketball
South Carolina posted a 3.011 GPA in the Fall 2022 semester, the program’s eighth-straight semester with a 3.00 or higher mark. In addition to Dean’s List entires Brea Beal and Aliyah Boston (the 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year), who exceeded a 3.5 GPA for the semester, eight other Gamecocks made the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 or higher) in the Fall.