Gamecocks Fall to #9/10 Maryland

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 10/11 South Carolina women’s basketball opened each half with a flurry but could not overcome the consistent offense of No. 9/10 Maryland Sunday evening at Colonial Life Arena as the Terrapins claimed the 85-61 victory.
 
For the Gamecocks, senior forward Alexis Jennings made her first start of the season after an injury and turned in nine points, four rebounds and two assists in her 15 minutes of action. Sophomore forward LeLe Grissett came off the bench for a dynamic 22 minutes that saw her finish with six points and six rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
 
Junior forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan led the offense with 14 points, and junior guard Te’a Cooper reached double figures for the third time in as many games with 11 points to go with her three assists and three steals.
 
South Carolina exploded out of the gate, opening a 16-4 lead behind three steals that turned into immediate points on the other end. Herbert Harrigan and Jennings controlled the paint with eight of the team’s first 16 points. Cooper scored the next three Gamecock baskets to establish the 16-4 advantage with 5:32 to go in the opening quarter.
 
Maryland answered in the final minutes of the first quarter and deep into the second by controlling the glass. Limiting the Gamecocks to one shot each trip down the floor, the Terrapins went on a 26-2 to open a 32-19 advantage.
 
Trailing by 19 at the half, the Gamecocks went to aggressive, pressure defense to open the second half, and it created a 13-5 surge to close the gap to 50-39 with 5:44 to go in the third. The Terrapins did not break, however, and re-established their sizable margin.
 
 
GAMECHANGER
Maryland used a 26-2 surge from the end of the first quarter into the second to establish a 32-19 lead that it would not relinquish.
 
KEY STAT
The Gamecocks went 1-of-21 from the 3-point line.
 
NOTABLES

• South Carolina scored just seven points in the second quarter, marking its lowest point total in a quarter since a seven-point second quarter against Texas A&M on Dec. 31, 2017.
• Junior guard Te’a Cooper has scored in double figures every game this season.

 
UP NEXT
South Carolina leaves on Monday for the Vancouver Showcase. The Gamecocks will open the tournament against ETSU on Thu., Nov. 22, at 9 p.m. ET.