Feb. 19, 2015

Box Score | Printable Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 2/2 South Carolina posted its program-record seventh SEC road victory of the season after weathering multiple Arkansas runs and using a late 9-0 surge to put the game out of reach in a 73-56 win at Bud Walton Arena on Thursday night. Four Gamecocks (25-1, 13-0 SEC) reached double figures with Tiffany Mitchell leading the way with 15 points. Alaina Coates notched her 11th double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Khadijah Sessions opened the game on fire, recording the Gamecocks’ first five points and swiping three steals in the opening four minutes. The South Carolina defense locked down the Razorbacks, allowing just six points through the first 8:30 of the game to take a 16-6 lead despite a spate of turnovers. Arkansas got on track, though, crashing the boards and limiting the Gamecocks to just one tough shot in each possession. The three-minute 11-2 rally brought the Razorbacks within a point at 18-17 with 7:43 to play.

Tina Roy got the seal off the basket with a 3-pointer from the right wing, and a pair of blocked shots on the other end led to a Mitchell transition layup that put South Carolina back up 23-17 with 6:45 to play in the half. Back-to-back 3-pointers made it a one-possession game again, but freshman A’ja Wilson began to take over, securing a pair of defensive rebounds and scoring the next four points as the Gamecocks stretched the lead back out to 29-23 with just over three minutes left in the period. Another Sessions 3-pointer helped South Carolina take a 38-31 lead into halftime.

The Gamecocks exploded out of the locker room, playing well on both sides of the ball. Three captains – Asia Dozier, Mitchell and Elem Ibiam – scored the first seven points to build a 14-point lead less than two minutes into the period. Defensively, the Gamecocks put on a shot blocking clinic in the second half, recording five in the first 10 minutes of the period. The Razorbacks looked to mount a rally behind Jessica Jackson, but Coates and Wilson led the Gamecocks, who answered Arkansas’ 6-0 run that made it a 10-point game with 6:18 to play with a 9-0 surge of their own to build a 70-51 lead Arkansas couldn’t overcome with 3:57 on the clock.

After scoring just four points in the first half, Mitchell finished the game with 15, aided by a 7-of-7 performance at the free throw line. The reigning SEC Player of the Year also had three blocks and five steals. Coates was 5-of-8 from the field and hit 4-of-5 from the free throw line as she posted her 21st career double-double. Sessions dished out five assists in the first half and finished with seven, a new SEC best and just one shy of her career high. The point guard rounded out her line with 11 points, four steals and a SEC career-high five rebounds. Wilson was 7-of-10 from the floor to post 14 points. The freshman also blocked three shots. Dozier was 3-of-4 from behind the arc to score nine.

GAMECHANGER

With Arkansas rolling off a 6-0 run that cut the score to 10 at 61-51 with 6:18 to play, South Carolina pulled away with a 9-0 run that featured back-to-back layups from Coates, a 3 from Roy and a pair of free throws from Sessions to put the game out of reach.

KEY STAT

The Gamecocks swatted a season-high 11 shots with Elem Ibiam, A’ja Wilson and Tiffany Mitchell collecting three each. South Carolina blocked five Razorback shots in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

NOTABLES

• South Carolina’s bench outscored the Arkansas bench 34-3.
• South Carolina out-rebounded Arkansas 34-24, marking the 13th time the Gamecocks have out-rebounded their opponent by 10 or more.
• The Gamecocks have won seven road SEC games this season, a new program record.
• With the win, South Carolina has ensured its fourth-straight 25-win season. The program reached the win total just three times in the 37 previous seasons.
• Khadijah Sessions has swiped three or more steals in 10 games this season, six have come in conference play.

TWEET OF THE GAME

Because of Dawn Staley & the @GamecockWBB my first love is in transition from football to women’s basketball. They are so much fun to watch!

— Ben Atkinson (@htchelpdesk) February 20, 2015

UP NEXT The Gamecocks have three regular-season games remaining on the schedule, beginning with a pair of top-20 matchups at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina hosts No. 6/6 Tennessee on Mon., Feb. 23, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. It is the Gamecocks’ Play 4 Kay game presented by Academy Sports and Outdoors. The Gamecocks will honor their seniors prior to tipoff in the final regular-season home game of the season against No. 14/16 Mississippi State on Thu., Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. on FSN.