Feb. 11, 2018
#7/8 South Carolina 64, Florida 57
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) A’ja Wilson scored 22 points and No. 7 South Carolina used a big run spanning the half to beat Florida 64-57 on Sunday.
South Carolina (20-5, 9-3 SEC) appeared sluggish after playing its third game of the week and being down to nine healthy players. With a slim first-quarter lead, coach Dawn Staley deliberately kept Wilson on the bench for the start of the second quarter, knowing the Gamecocks could have to play stretches without her going forward.
Not coincidentally, that’s when the Gators (10-15, 2-10) made a run to take a 10-point lead.
Wilson re-entered the game and led a 10-0 burst to tie the game, then scored at the buzzer for a halftime tie after the Gators briefly re-took the lead. Another South Carolina run out of the locker room gave it a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Ty Harris had 18 for South Carolina.
Florida’s Funda Nakkasoglu scored 21, hitting five 3-pointers.
Before the game, South Carolina announced that guard Lindsey Spann would miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
QUOTABLE Dawn Staley
On the Gamecocks getting to 20 wins on the season
“I’m looking for how we are playing. If we are playing well, the wins are going to accumulate. We will be able to win the big games. I think we are a 20-win program, especially having someone like A’ja [Wilson] on the team. She can account for at least 10, then we can scrap for the others. But certainly we look forward to whatever it is the rest of the season has for us. I think we still have enough [players], but we can play a little bit more disciplined and hit some more shots.”
NOTABLE
- Sunday’s victory over the Gators clinched Carolina’s seventh-straight 20-win season.
- With a game-high 22 points, Carolina senior forward logged the 40th 20-point game of her career.
- Gamecock sophomore standout Tyasha Harris connected on a career-high four 3-pointers against Florida.
- Carolina junior guard Doniyah Cliney netted 10 points to reach double figures in SEC play for the fifth time this season.
GAMECHANGER
After the Gators cut the Gamecock lead to 52-48, Carolina responded with a 10-2 run to establish a 62-50 advantage with 3:06 to play. Sophomore guard Tyasha Harris accounted for eight points during the stretch after converting back-to-back 3-pointers and a layup.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks were disciplined on the defensive end Sunday, holding the Gators to just two free throw attempts for the game. Florida’s two shots from the line were the lowest for a Carolina opponent this season.
UP NEXT
Carolina continues SEC play on Thu., Feb. 15, when it faces No. 18/18 Georgia on the road in Athens, Ga. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on SEC Network+.
