No. 2/1 Carolina Set for Thursday Tilt at Auburn
#2/1 SOUTH CAROLINA (14-1, 9-0) AT AUBURN (5-11, 0-8)
7 P.M. ET | AUBURN, ALA. | AUBURN ARENA
South Carolina Game Notes | WATCH: SEC Network + | LISTEN: 1320 AM/107.5 FM in progress | Live Stats
ABOUT THIS GAME
- Tonight’s game features the SEC’s top two rebounders in Aliyah Boston in Auburn’s Unique Thompson. On the season, Thompson’s SEC-best 14.0 rpg lead Boston’s 11.5 average. In league play, Boston has the edge with 12.7 rpg to Thompson’s 12.0.
- The Gamecocks are 25-21 all-time against Auburn, including wins in the last 10 meetings. In the Staley era, South Carolina is 13-3 against the Tigers with five of those wins coming in Auburn.
- Tonight’s game is the 200th SEC regular-season game in head coach Dawn Staley’s career. Her 147 SEC regular-season victories are second in the league among active coaches (Gary Blair, 148) and fourth in league history. Her .739 SEC winning percentage is second all-time to only the legendary Pat Summitt’s mark of .874.
- South Carolina is looking for its 26th straight SEC regular-season victory tonight, which would tie Mississippi State’s streak for fifth-longest in league history. Tennessee holds the SEC record of 42 consecutive regular-season wins, which it did twice (Jan. 26, 1992 – Jan. 1, 1996; Feb. 7, 2002 – Feb. 6, 2005).
- A win tonight would be the Gamecocks’ 29th straight victory over an SEC opponent, including three wins in the 2020 SEC Tournament, marking the longest such streak in program history. Of the current 28 consecutive wins, 13 have came against a ranked opponent.
GAMECOCK NOTABLES
- The Gamecocks returned to the No. 1 ranking this week, taking over that spot in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll on Tuesday. It is their second stint in that position, having opened the season at No. 1 and holding the spot until the Dec. 7 polls.
- South Carolina has dominated the offensive glass this season, ranking fourth in the country in offensive rebounds per game (17.8). Three Gamecocks rank among the SEC’s top 10 offensive rebounders, led by Aliyah Boston’s 4.0 per game, which ranks 19th in the nation. Victaria Saxton (2.8, 7th) and LeLe Grissett (2.7, 8th) are also ranked in the SEC. South Carolina has turned its 17.8 offensive boards per game into 17.8 points per game.
- The Gamecocks have proven they can win in high-scoring shootouts or low-scoring defensive battles. They are 7-1 when scoring fewer than 70 points and 7-0 when eclipsing that mark.
- Sophomores Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke were named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 10 this week. Cooke also earned a spot on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 list. The top 10 list for the Lisa Leslie Award, which Boston won last season, will be announced on Friday.
- Unanimous AP Preseason All-American Aliyah Boston had her versatility on full display against Alabama Sunday. While the Crimson Tide ended her streak of double-doubles by limiting her to just six points, her stat line included 13 rebounds, three blocks and a career-high six assists as she played calmly through the full attention of the Alabama defense.
- Overlooked on the Nancy Lieberman Award top 10 list this week, junior point guard Destanni Henderson is the engine that makes the Gamecocks go. Her SEC-best 5.7 assists per game are 20th in the nation and is in combination with her 12.2 points per game, which is third-best on the team. Posting her first career double-double against then-#15/16 Arkansas, she has 10 double-digit scoring games, including three 20-point outings, and 10 games of five or more assists.
BY THE NUMBERS
4 South Carolina has allowed an opponent to score 70 or more points just four times through 15 games this season.
9 Aliyah Boston has posted double-digit rebounds in nine straight games, the most since Alaina Coates did it 10 straight times (Jan. 3-Feb. 4, 2016).
60.0 South Carolina shot 60.0 percent (6-of-10) from 3-point range against Alabama on Sunday, their highest percentage of the season.
82.7 South Carolina’s 82.7 points per game rank 11th in the nation and trail just Arkansas (85.2) in the SEC.
90.5 The Gamecocks have shot 90.5 percent (38-of-42) from the free throw line over the last two games.
