Jan. 8, 2017
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A dominant defensive showing in the second quarter and strong first-half performances from juniors A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray catapulted No. 5/5 South Carolina to an 81-62 victory over Florida Sunday afternoon at the Exactech Arena. The win kept the Gamecocks unbeaten in the SEC at 3-0 and improved their overall record to 13-1. Florida dropped to 9-7 overall and remained winless in SEC play, falling to 0-3 with the loss.
Sunday’s turning point came in the second period when the Gamecocks outscored the Gators 26-5 after holding Florida to just one field goal in the quarter. Wilson provided much of the offense during the stretch, and she totaled 10 points and three field goals for the period. The Hopkins, S.C., native logged her second 20-point game in SEC play and notched her second-straight double-double after finishing with a game-high 23 points and 13 boards. Gray knocked down four 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes and totaled 18 points for the afternoon, while fellow guard Kaela Davis joined the junior in double figures with 10. Carolina center Alaina Coates continued her steady down low with 14 points and 13 rebounds, as the senior recorded her team-leading ninth double-double of the year. Coates and Wilson combined for five blocks and Gray added four steals to lead the defensive effort against a Florida team that committed 22 turnovers.
The Gamecock frontcourt set the tone on both ends of the court in the early going to help Carolina jump out to an 8-2 lead less than four minutes into the contest. A nice pass inside from Coates set up Wilson for an easy bucket and made it 4-2 Gamecocks before Coates spun into the lane and laid it in to extend the advantage to 6-2. The senior answered the call on the defensive side with a block on Florida’s next possession, and another Gators’ field goal attempt was denied 14 seconds later when Wilson swatted the shot away. A missed 3-pointer from Florida led to a Carolina bucket in transition after Gray slipped a pass to Wilson to give the Gamecocks the 8-2 cushion. The Gators would respond, and an 8-0 run gave Florida a 10-8 lead with 4:30 left in the period. Gray provided the answer for the Gamecocks with a jumper and a pair of 3-pointers that put them in front 18-17 with a minute to play, and a three-point play from Davis gave Carolina a 21-19 advantage as the two teams headed into the first break.
Carolina established complete control of the game in the second period behind a 17-0 run that was sparked by more production from the 3-point line. Gray’s hot hand spilled into the quarter, and the junior’s third 3-pointer of the afternoon stretched the Gamecock lead to 24-19 with 9:21 left in the first half. Davis found her stroke from beyond the arc a minute later and connected on a shot from deep to make it 27-21, and another 3-pointer from Gray pushed the margin to 30-21 with just over three minutes gone in the quarter. Wilson took over the game down the stretch of the period, starting with a 3-point play that gave the Gamecocks a double-digit lead at 33-21. Two more baskets inside from the forward made it 38-21 before a put-back basket by Coates pressed the advantage to 20 points at 41-21 with 3:32 left in the half. The pair of frontcourt standouts continued to impose their will on the defensive side, with each Gamecock recording a block in the final two minutes of the quarter. Carolina’s defense shut down the Florida offensive attack throughout the period, as the Gators tallied just five second-quarter points and missed their last 11 shots of the half. Wilson and Gray headed to the locker room with 16 points each, and the Gamecocks led 47-24 at the half.
The two teams traded baskets in the opening four minutes of the third quarter, with Davis, Wilson and Coates all registering field goals. After a 5-0 Florida run, Gamecock freshman guard Tyasha Harris stepped in front of a pass to take the ball away before converting an uncontested layup in transition. The basket pushed the Carolina advantage back to 20 points at 55-35 midway though the quarter, and a running, one-handed jumper by Davis put the guard in double figures and made it 57-39 with 2:18 to play in the period. The Gamecocks capped off the quarter with a buzzer beater from the corner, as junior guard Bianca Cuevas-Moore collected a pass from Harris and knocked down the 3-pointer to send Carolina into the final period with a 63-46 cushion.
Wilson’s seventh field goal of the contest gave the junior her fifth 20-point game of the season and put the score at 65-49 with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter. Carolina’s points continued to come down low, and another basket from Wilson followed by a three-point play by Coates stretched the lead back to 20 points at 72-52. Coates notched seven points in the quarter to reach double figures for the game, and the Gamecock defense remained tough down the stretch, holding the Gators to just one field goal in the final 6:09 of the contest.
Carolina totaled 21 points off Florida’s 22 turnovers and tallied six blocks for the game. The Gamecocks held a 47-42 advantage on the glass and scored 44 points in the paint. Carolina shot 43.5 percent from the floor in the victory, going 6-of-18 from beyond the arc.
GAMECHANGER
Carolina’s 17-0 run in the second quarter turned a 24-21 Gamecock lead into a 20-point cushion at 41-21 with 3:32 left in the half. Junior forward A’ja Wilson netted eight points during the run and finished the period with 10 points.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks held the Gators to just 1-of-14 shooting in the second quarter. Florida’s 7.1 percent from the floor during the 10-minute stretch marked the lowest ever by a Carolina opponent in one period.
NOTABLES
- Sunday marked Carolina’s eighth-straight win over the Gators. Each of the last five victories have come by double-digits.
- Junior forward A’ja Wilson has averaged a double-double in SEC play this season through three games, boasting marks of 18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest.
- Guard Allisha Gray’s four 3-pointers Sunday matched a career high and were the most for the junior in league action.
- Carolina has forced at least 20 turnovers in two of its first three SEC games this season. Alabama equaled Florida’s turnover total of 22 when it faced the Gamecocks on Jan. 1.
UP NEXT
South Carolina’s SEC slate continues on Thu., Jan. 12, when it welcomes Georgia to Colonial Life Arena. The contest tips off at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
