Gamecocks Combine for 40 points in USA Basketball Exhibition
Columbia, S.C. – Four current and former South Carolina Gamecocks participated in the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Red-White exhibition at Colonial Life Arena combining for 40 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in a game which the White team won 100-75.
“I thought it was a good showing,” USA Basketball and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the game. “I thought we got better today in our preparation for the [FIBA] World Cup. We look forward to playing Canada and Japan in the next week.
“I’m pleased with the days we spent here in Columbia,” said Staley. “Every time we made an adjustment, the players really honed in and executed. We are still in need of some outside shooting. We will have to deal with that during our domestic tour and into our international schedule.”
WNBA All-Star forward A’ja Wilson led the way statistically among the four Gamecocks with 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Wilson scored the opening bucket for the White squad, and led her team back from a first-quarter deficit by outscoring the Red team 27-11 in the second. The Las Vegas Ace put up impressive numbers during her rookie campaign, averaging 20.7 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game.
“It felt really good to play in Colonial Life Arena again,” Wilson said after the game. “I feel like I have grown as a player since being here last. I think I have also grown as a woman. I’ve had time to sit back and see things, but it’s still always good to come home.”
The only current Gamecock on the court was junior Tyasha Harris. She excited the crowd by drilling each of her first two shots for the Red team, both from 3-point range. Harris finished with a total of six points on 2-for-2 shooting in 20 minutes of action.
Allisha Gray, who just completed her second season with the Dallas Wings, was 5-for-10 for the White team for a total of 13 points. She added four rebounds and an assist in the White team’s victory.
Tiffany Mitchell, who last played with the Gamecocks in 2015-16, finished with five points along with a pair of rebounds and assists for the Red team. Mitchell averaged 9.1 points per game in the WNBA in her third season with the Indiana Fever.
After the first quarter, the Red team held a 29-23 advantage, shooting 61.1 percent from the floor, including 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. The quarter was a back and forth affair, with the largest lead for either team at just six points.
The two teams took a step back offensively in the second quarter, combining for just 38 points after scoring 52 in the first quarter. The White team held a 50-40 lead at the half, with Wilson leading the White team with 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting and four rebounds.
Coach Cheryl Reeve’s White squad extended its lead in the third quarter to as much as 18. The White team held Red to just 4-of-16 shooting from the floor during the quarter and a total of just 10 points.
Entering the final quarter with a 70-50 lead, the White team coasted its way to the victory. The lead grew to 25 points led by Arike Ogunbowale, who finished with a team-high 16 points. Nneka Ogwumike led all scorers with 17 points for the Red team.
Dawn Staley and the USA Basketball Women’s National Team continue their domestic exhibition tour in Connecticut where they will take on Canada on Sat., Sept. 9, at 7:00 p.m.
