Top-25 SEC Battle at Tennessee Thursday for No 2/3 Gamecocks

#2/3 SOUTH CAROLINA (17-2, 12-0) AT #21/21 TENNESSEE (12-5, 6-3)
7 P.M.   |  KNOXVILLE, TENN.  | THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA

South Carolina Game Notes | WATCH: SEC Network | LISTEN: 1320 AM / SiriusXM Ch. 374 | Live Stats 

ABOUT THIS GAME

• The Gamecocks are 6-3 against the Lady Vols over the last six seasons. South Carolina has won the last three meetings, all by double digits.
• South Carolina is looking for its 29th straight SEC regular-season victory tonight, which is the fifth-longest streak 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’ 32nd straight over an SEC opponent, including three in the 2020 SEC Tournament, which would give them sole possession of the second longest in league history. The longest streak in SEC history is 36 games by Tennessee (2010-2012). Of the Gamecocks’ current 31 wins, 13 came against a ranked opponent.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

• Under Staley, South Carolina has built its success by dominating the paint, both controlling the glass and scoring in the paint. This season is no different. The Gamecocks are among the top three rebounding teams in the country, pulling in 49.7 rebounds per game, including 17.6 on the offensive end, and enjoying a +16.9 rebounding margin – all numbers that lead the SEC. Offensively, 56.6 percent of South Carolina’s offense comes from the paint (45.3 ppg).
• It’s no secret that the Gamecocks want to play fast, averaging 18.4 fast break points per game. Point guard Destanni Henderson is the primary driver of that pace, putting her hands on 46.1 percent of the team’s fast break points – scoring 5.1 fast break points per game and assisting on another 3.4.
• Staley was named to the 2021 Naismith Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List this week with two other SEC coaches  (Gary Blair, Kelly Harper) on the 15-person list. In 2020, Staley became the first person to be named Naismith Coach of the Year after previously winning the Naismith Trophy for Player of the Year.
• Unanimous AP Preseason All-American Aliyah Boston is not only consistent but also brings the ability to impact the game in a myriad of ways on both ends of the floor. She averages a double-double overall (13.6 ppg / 11.6 rpg), in SEC play (14.4 ppg / 12.3 rpg) and against ranked opponents (14.6 ppg / 11.9 rpg). Four of her 10 double-doubles this season (13th in NCAA) have come against ranked opponents, and seven of them have come in SEC play. She has grabbed double-digit rebounds in all but one SEC game this season and has blocked five or more shots four times, all in league play. Her rebounding and blocked shot averages rank 13th and eighth in the nation, respectively, and her 4.2 offensive rebounds per game are 14th in the nation.
• Junior Destanni Henderson shook off a tough outing at #2/5 UConn (Feb. 8) to shoot 60.0 percent from the field and average a team-best 15.0 points in the next two games, while swiping 3.0 steals per game. She continues to lead the SEC and ranks 21st in the country with 5.5 assists per game, including 5.9 in SEC games.
• Junior Victaria Saxton has scored in double figures in four of her last five SEC outings,, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and averaging 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in that stretch.

BY THE NUMBERS
2 Two of the five finalists for the Naismith High School Player of the Year award have signed with South Carolina – Sania Feagin, Raven Johnson.

7 Aliyah Boston’s seven SEC double-doubles this season matches her SEC total from last season and rank her third in program history in career SEC double-doubles.

8.0 South Carolina has blocked 8.0 shots per SEC game this season and leads the nation with 7.4 blocks per game on the season.

17.6 The Gamecocks are third in the nation with 17.6 offensive rebounds per game, which have yielded 17.7 second-chance points per game.

22.9 South Carolina averages 22.9 free attempts per game and ranks sixth in the nation in free throw attempts (436).