No. 1 South Carolina rolls past No. 23 Iowa State, 83-65

Box Score

AMES, Iowa (AP) Zia Cooke scored 19 points and No. 1 South Carolina bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 83-65 win over 23rd-ranked Iowa State on Sunday.

The Gamecocks (4-1) were beaten by No. 8 N.C. State 54-46 on Thursday, but never trailed against the Cyclones (2-2) during the SEC/Big 12 Challenge matchup.

Aliyah Boston and Brea Beal added 13 points each while Destanni Henderson had 12.

Ashley Joens scored 32 points for Iowa State, which shot just 37.1% for the game and was outrebounded 50-24.

South Carolina held a 44-30 lead at halftime and made nine of its first 13 shots in the third quarter to put the game away.

Unlike last game when the Gamecocks struggled offensively, they jumped to a 10-0 lead in the opening moments, with Boston and Beal each contributing 5 points.

Iowa State trimmed the margin to 16-15 late in the first quarter before South Carolina went on a 17-2 run and built a 33-17 advantage.

GAMECHANGER
The Gamecocks saw their early 10-0 lead cut to just one at 16-15 with 3:07 left in the first quarter and answered with an 11-2 surge that finished the period, including three of the team’s 13 3-pointers in the game.

KEY STAT 
The Gamecocks dominated on the glass today, outrebounding the Cyclones 50-24. They used that rebounding advantage to score 15 second-chance points compared to Iowa State’s four. 

NOTABLES 

• The Gamecocks got their outside shooting going early with five 3s in the first quarter and finished with 13, their most since sinking 15 from beyond the arc against Temple on Dec. 21, 2018.
• Sophomore Aliyah Boston got on track early, scoring seven of her season-best 13 points in the first quarter and dominating the glass with seven of her game-high 15 rebounds in the fourth quarter on the way to her second double-double of the season. 
• Sophomore Zia Cooke heated up in the third, scoring 12 of her team-high 19 points after the break to give the Gamecocks some breathing room in the second half. 
• Sophomore Brea Beal showed off her range, scoring seven points in the first quarter, and added a pair of 3-pointers in the third to tie her career-high with three 3s and finish with a season-high 13 points. 
• Junior Destanni Henderson continues to find her groove as the starting point guard, dishing out a season-high seven assists while pouring in 12 points, six of which came in the first quarter.  

UP NEXT 
The Gamecocks (4-1) get a week to rest up before hosting Temple on Dec. 17. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena with the game airing on the SEC Network.