Spann Leads Gamecocks to Dominant Showing in Exhibition Win Over Coker
Nov. 3, 2017
No. 4/2 Women’s Basketball vs. Coker
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Redshirt senior guard Lindsey Spann netted a game-high 27 points and totaled eight 3-pointers to lead No. 4/2 South Carolina to a 116-56 victory over Coker in Friday’s exhibition game at Colonial Life Arena. Spann reached 20 points by the half, while Gamecock sophomore forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan tallied 13 points after the break to finish with 19 on the night.
Carolina’s offense connected on all cylinders Friday, racking up 58 points in the paint to go with 11 baskets from beyond the arc. Spann finished 7-of-9 from the 3-point line, and Herbert Harrigan connected on nine of her 11 field goal attempts. Gamecock senior forward A’ja Wilson added 16 points to go with five boards and a game-high four blocks, while redshirt junior Alexis Jennings chipped in 12 points after going 4-of-6 from the floor. Carolina guards Tyasha Harris and Doniyah Cliney also reached double figures, registering 10 points each.
On the defensive end, the Gamecocks held the Cobras to 33.3 percent shooting and 12 points in the paint. Carolina scored 39 points off 24 turnovers by the Cobras and finished the night with eight blocks.
Harris sparked the Gamecock offense in the early going, tallying a pair of assists to Wilson and a basket from the right side to help Carolina jump out to a 6-2 lead. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Spann pushed the advantage to 12-2 before Wilson’s third field goal of the quarter made it 14-2 with 6:48 to go in the first period. Wilson continued to score at will, and another basket down low from the senior put the Gamecocks in front 18-2 midway through the quarter. Carolina’s defense was sharp early against a Coker squad that shot just 2-of-16 from the floor and committed 10 turnovers throughout the opening 10 minutes. Back-to-back steals from Cliney led to four points in transition that stretched the advantage to 27-4, and the Gamecocks headed to the first break with a 42-6 lead. Spann was clinical from the 3-point line over the opening period, as the guard shot 5-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to 17 first-quarter points.
A pair of 3-pointers from sophomore guard Victoria Patrick out of the break pushed the lead to 48-9 with 8:46 to play in the first half, and two free throws from freshman forward LaDazhia Williams a minute later established a 41-point cushion at 50-9. Wilson converted an and-1 down low to get into double figures and make it 59-18 with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter, while Spann reached 20 points less than two minutes later after knocking down her sixth 3-pointer of the contest. The bucket built a 65-20 lead, and Carolina entered the locker room with a 76-24 advantage. Jennings totaled 10 second-quarter points for a Gamecock squad that boasted a 38-0 advantage in points in the paint in the first half.
Carolina reached the century mark on a jumper inside from Williams that made it 101-44 with 7:32 remaining in the contest.
Herbert Harrigan joined the list of Carolina players to post double-digit points after turning in a strong third quarter. She made all three of her field goals in the period and totaled seven points throughout the 10-minute stretch. Williams scored six of her eight points in the final period, and the Gamecocks closed the game on a 9-3 run.
Carolina shot 65.2 percent for the game and sported a 41-32 rebound advantage. The Gamecocks netted 27 fastbreak points and ended the game with 16 steals.
QUOTABLE
Dawn Staley
On the shooting performance of Carolina redshirt senior guard Lindsey Spann
“She’s been doing that ever since she’s been injury free — she’s been shooting the ball extremely well. I’m not really surprised by her ability to shoot it that way. When she gets her feet set and has an open look, she’s knocking them down. We hope that she can continue that.”
GAMECHANGER
A dominant display on both ends of the court handed Carolina a 42-6 lead after the first quarter. The Gamecocks shot 81.0 percent for the period and notched 18 points off 10 Coker turnovers in the opening 10 minutes.
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks rushed out to a commanding lead Friday behind a hot shooting start from beyond the arc. Carolina connected on each of its first nine 3-pointers in a stretch highlighted by six baskets from distance by redshirt senior guard Lindsey Spann.
NOTABLE
- Friday’s victory came against a Coker squad coached by former Gamecock standout Shannon Johnson. Johnson, one of four South Carolina players to have her jersey retired, was a 2004 Olympic teammate of Gamecock head coach Dawn Staley.
- Carolina has scored at least 100 points in three of its last four exhibition games in a stretch that dates back to 2014.
- Three Gamecocks finished with at least three steals in the win over the Cobras. Forward Alexis Jennings led all players with four steals, while guards each Doniyah Cliney and Bianca Cuevas-Moore totaled three on the night.
- Carolina sophomore Tyasha Harris dished out a game-high six assists Friday. The guard led the Gamecocks with 117 assists last season.
UP NEXT
Carolina opens regular-season play next week when it hosts Alabama State on Fri., Nov. 10, at Colonial Life Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be seen on SEC Network+. Prior to the contest, the Gamecocks will unveil their 2017 National Championship banner and receive their SEC Championship rings from last year’s title in a ceremony set for 6:45 p.m.
