Jan. 24, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior guard Allisha Gray has been tabbed the SEC Co-Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday morning. The accolade marks the first conference award for the Sandersville, Ga., native, who shared the honor with Missouri’s Lindsey Cunningham.
Gray delivered several pivotal plays down the stretch in No. 5/5 Carolina’s 64-61 win over No. 4/4 Mississippi State Monday night at Colonial Life Arena. The guard scored 16 of her 17 points in the second half, including 12 of the Gamecocks’ 21 third-quarter points to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a one-point lead heading into the final period. She laid in Carolina’s first two field goals of the fourth quarter before coming up with the defensive play of the game with less than a minute to play. After missing a 3-pointer, Gray raced down the court and challenged a transition layup by Bulldog guard Victoria Vivians to force a miss and preserve the one-point Gamecock lead with 54 seconds remaining.
The junior filled the stat sheet in Carolina’s 65-46 home win over Ole Miss last Thursday. She poured in eight fourth-quarter points and finished with 11 to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The performance marked the sixth time this season Gray totaled at least four assists in a game.
Gray, one of four Gamecocks to average double-digit points this year, ranks third on the team with 13.4 points per contest. She has finished in double figures in all but four games in her first year at Carolina, and the guard leads the team with 49 assists. Among conference players, Gray ranks 20th with 13.3 points in league action, and she is 21st in scoring overall.
Gray and the Gamecocks travel to Georgia to take on the Lady Bulldogs in an SEC contest for Thu., Jan. 26, at Stegeman Coliseum. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
