Women's Basketball . January 20, 2021

Border Rival Georgia Visits Colonial Life Arena Thursday

#4/3 SOUTH CAROLINA (10-1, 5-0 SEC) VS. #22/23 GEORGIA (12-1, 4-1 SEC)
6:30 P.M. | COLUMBIA, S.C. | COLONIAL LIFE ARENA (3,500)

ABOUT THIS GAME

Georgia leads the all-time series 33-19, but the Gamecocks are 15-6 against the Lady Bulldogs in the Dawn Staley era (2008-09 to present), including a current 12-game win streak.
Tonight is the 14th meeting between Georgia and South Carolina in which both teams are nationally ranked. The better-ranked team is 11-2 in the previous 13 outings; the Gamecocks are 5-1 when ranked better than the Lady Bulldogs.
South Carolina is looking for its 22nd straight SEC regular-season victory tonight. Its longest SEC win streak is 24 games – Jan. 3, 2016 through Jan. 26, 2017.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

In its last two games, South Carolina scored at least 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time in program history, including its first 100-point game against a nationally ranked opponent. The 106 and 104 points at Vanderbilt and against Arkansas, respectively, are the most by any Gamecock team against an SEC opponent.
The Gamecocks have dominated nearly every rebounding stat imaginable this season, including ranking second in the country in offensive rebounds per game (18.9) even as the team is shooting 46.6 percent from the field. South Carolina leads the nation with 52.2 rebounds per game and is second in rebounding margin (+19.9). There is little dropoff in those numbers in the Gamecocks’ five games against ranked opponents, during which they average 47.2 rebounds, including 17.2 on the offensive end to produce 17.2 second-chance points per game.
South Carolina is No. 3 in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool), which is the new quantitative measure the NCAA Tournament selection committee will use. The Gamecocks’ five games against NET top-25 teams tie Nebraska for the most in the country with the 4-1 record in those games besting the Cornhuskers’ 3-2 mark. South Carolina is one of two AP Top 25 teams with four or more wins over ranked opponents this season.
Unanimous AP Preseason All-American Aliyah Boston has absolutely dominated SEC play, leading the league in rebounding (12.8), offensive rebounding (4.6) and blocks (4.6) per conference game. She is eight in scoring (17.6) and sixth in field goal percentage (.537). In five games against ranked opponents, Boston leads the team in scoring (15.6) and rebounding (11.4) and has three double-doubles in those outings.
Forward Victaria Saxton has been known as a rebounder and shot blocker, and she is now establishing herself as a threat offensively. She’s averaging 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in SEC action, including 15.0 points per game over the last two outings, during which she shot 77.8 percent (14-18). On the season, she is 19th in the SEC in rebounding (6.0) and third in blocks (1.9). She leads the league in field goal percentage in SEC play at .628.
Junior Destanni Henderson launched into 2021 with a 20-point, five-assist game at Alabama and has not looked back. Over the last four games, the Gamecocks’ lightning quick point guard has averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 assists, including her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 assists against #15/16 Arkansas.
With a renewed focus on her trademark defense, Brea Beal has seen her offensive contribution explode in the last two games, posting career-high points in each to average at team-best 19.5 points in that stretch while shooting 70.0 percent (14-20), including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

BY THE NUMBERS
3 Multiple Gamecocks have scored at least 20 points in a game three times already this season, the most since the five games in the 2017-18 season.

24 With 24 consecutive appearances in the AP top five, the Gamecocks have the longest active streak of top-five showings in the nation.

37.5 South Carolina is shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range this season to rank 23rd in the country.

55.7 The Gamecocks have scored 55.7 percent of their points this season in the paint. Of those 48.0 paint points per game, 25.3 of them have been scored by guards.

77.4 In five games against ranked opponents this season, the Gamecocks have scored 77.4 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting.