Women's Basketball . January 17, 2021

Top-20 Battle Set for Monday Night at Colonial Life Arena

#5/4 SOUTH CAROLINA (9-1, 4-0 SEC) VS. #17/16 ARKANSAS (11-4, 2-3 SEC)
7 P.M. | COLUMBIA, S.C. | COLONIAL LIFE ARENA (3,500)

ABOUT THIS GAME

South Carolina holds a 21-18 edge in the all-time series against Arkansas and has won 13 of the last 14 meetings, including three wins in 2019-20 by an average of 18.7 points.
This is the Gamecocks’ fifth game against a top-25 opponent this season with a 3-1 record.
The Gamecocks will wear special warm-up shirts to celebrate We Back Pat Week in the SEC. This season marks the 10th anniversary of the week-long celebration of the late Pat Summitt, which helps to raise awareness and funds for the fight against Alzheimer’s.
In honor of the dedication of the A’ja Wilson statue in front of Colonial Life Arena today, South Carolina will celebrate the most decorated player in program history with video tributes throughout the game.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

South Carolina is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, ranking third in rebounds per game (52.4) and rebounding margin (+19.8). The Gamecocks’ 19.0 offensive rebounds per game are second in the nation as they secure an SEC-best 47.1 percent of their own missed shots. Carolina is averaging 18.5 second-chance points this season, including 20.0 per SEC game.
For many seasons the Gamecocks have dominated the paint offensively, and this season’s numbers are keeping up the legacy with 46.8 points in the paint per game, including 52.0 in league play. South Carolina’s guards have accounted for 53.8 percent of those points (25.2 ppg).
Destanni Henderson has always let her game do the talking, and it has a LOT to say this season. Her 13.1 points per game are 27th in the SEC, and her 5.6 assists per game are second in the league and 20th in the country. The 5-foot-6 point guard is tied for third on the team in rebounding at 6.2 per game, making her and Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard the only players in the SEC to rank among its top 20 in rebounding and top 15 in assists. Over the last three games, Henderson has averaged 18.0 points, 5.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds.
Unanimous AP Preseason All-American Aliyah Boston has been unstoppable on the glass lately, pulling down 10 or more rebounds in four straight games and five of the last six. Her defense has been locked in as well, blocking 17 shots in SEC play to lead the league with 2.4 blocks per game on the season and 4.3 in SEC games.
At Vanderbilt on Thursday, Brea Beal and Victaria Saxton drove the Gamecock offense early with 10 and 11 points, respectively, in the first quarter on a combined 9-of-10 shooting. Both finished the game with career-high points and their best field goal percentage games of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
3 South Carolina has scored 100 or more points three times this season, already matching the 2019-20 team’s total of such games.

4 Three Gamecocks rank among the SEC’s top 20 in rebounding average – Boston (1st, 10.6), Amihere (16th, 6.4), Henderson (18th, 6.2), Saxton (18th, 6.2).

10.5 Laeticia Amihere has scored 10.5 points per game over the last two outings on 56.3 percent shooting.

22.0 The Gamecocks have limited their opponents to just 22.0 percent from the 3-point line to rank eighth in the country in 3-point percentage defense.

22.1 South Carolina is scoring 22.1 fast-break points per game, accounting for 26.2 percent of its total offense.

84.4 South Carolina’s 84.4 points per game are ahead of last season’s school-record scoring average of 82.0.