Gamecock Offense Delivers 101-55 Win Over ETSU
VANCOUVER, B.C. – No. 13/12 South Carolina found it shooting stroke in a 101-55 win over ETSU in women’s basketball action at the Vancouver Showcase Thursday night. The Gamecocks (3-1) hit a season-high 11 3-pointers, including seven in the first half, while the defense allowed the Buccaneers just eight points in the second quarter to put the game out of reach by halftime.
The Gamecocks wasted no time showing how they had shaken off a tough shooting night in their last outing as Doniyah Cliney hit a pair of 3s to open the game. The accuracy was contagious as South Carolina hit its first 11 shots from the field. On the other end, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had the defensive glass covered, allowing the Gamecocks to open a 20-4 advantage four minutes into the game. Outside shooting stayed hot South Carolina, although the Buccaneers started hitting shots late in the half to close within 33-21 after the opening 10 minutes.
Tyasha Harris opened the second quarter with a three-point play, and then the Gamecock bench took over. Nelly Perry hit a transition layup followed by a Bianca Jackson jumper from the right elbow on an out-of-bounds play, and a pair of free throws from Victaria Saxton made it a 42-25 game. Another bench surge closed the half with LeLe Grissett hitting a bucket inside, Bianca Cuevas-Moore burying a 3 for her first points of the season, and Elysa Wesolek burying the Gamecocks’ seventh 3-pointer of the half to send her team to the locker room with a 55-29 advantage.
Free throw shooting dominated the second half for both teams with the Gamecocks hitting 16-of-20 over the final 20 minutes of the contest.
All 13 Gamecocks on the roster scored at least one point and five finished in double figures – Cliney and Jackson with 14 each, Harris with 13 and Perry and Wesolek adding 10.
GAMECHANGER
The Gamecock defense locked down in the second quarter after the Buccaneers had closed to within 12 at the end of the first quarter. South Carolina allowed just 3-of-19 shooting for eight points in the second period to build a 55-29 lead at halftime.
KEY STAT
South Carolina shot 76.9 percent in the first quarter, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. The Gamecocks finished 11-of-16 from outside the arc for a Staley-era best 68.8 percent accuracy.
NOTABLES
- Tonight’s 101 points are the third most by the Gamecocks in the Dawn Staley era. It was the fifth 100-point game in Staley’s 11th season
- South Carolina’s 33 first-quarter points were the third most in program history.
- The Gamecocks’ 28 free throws made were a season high.
- South Carolina recorded double-digit blocked shots for the second time in three games with seven Gamecocks contributing at least one to the effort.
- Sophomore guard Bianca Jackson recorded a career-best six steals, double her previous career high.
- Elysa Wesolek posted her first double-figure scoring game behind perfect field goal shooting – 3-of-3 from the field, including a pair of 3s, and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
South Carolina advances in the main bracket to face the winner of the last game of the day between #9/8 Oregon State and Western Kentucky. Tipoff for Friday’s contest is 11:30 p.m. ET.
