Final Home Week for Women's Hoops Starts Thursday

#1/1 SOUTH CAROLINA (22-1, 11-1) VS. AUBURN (9-14, 1-11)
FEBRUARY 17, 2022 |  7 P.M. ET |  COLUMBIA, S.C. | COLONIAL LIFE ARENA (18,000)

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

• The Gamecock defense continues to be the driver of the team’s success. In the last five games, including two against ranked teams, the Gamecocks have allowed just 49.0 points per game on 31.6 percent shooting. For the season, playing among the most challenging schedules in the country, South Carolina is sixth in the nation in scoring defense (51.5 ppg) and second in field goal percentage defense (.328).
• Turnovers have been the Gamecocks’ season-long nemesis, but last week they turned the weakness into a strength with a +3.5 turnover margin in wins at Kentucky and #17/14 Georgia. South Carolina scored 45 points off 37 turnovers in those games, while yielding just 31 points off its 30 turnovers.
• National Player of the Year candidate Aliyah Boston was an especially diverse stat-stuffer last week with 16.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. She extended her streak of double-doubles to 17, and, according to Her Hoop Stats, Boston’s win share is an NCAA-best 11.0, more than 1.0 more than second place.
• Senior Victaria Saxton had a big week, averaging 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in a pair of wins.
• Freshmen Bree Hall has thrived over the last three games, averaging 15.7 minutes and turning it into 6.7 points per game in the stretch.
• The Gamecocks expect to welcome Laeticia Amihere and Kamilla Cardoso back for Thursday’s game after both were with their national teams at FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments. In Osaka,, Amihere helped Canada punch its ticket to Sydney, averaging 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in the two wins. In Belgrade, Brazil was not able to secure a spot in the World Cup, but Cardoso grabbed a spot on the All-Tournament team with her 11.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

BY THE NUMBERS

12 – Dawn Staley is 12th in winning percentage among active Div. I coaches with at least 10 years of experience.

14 – The Gamecocks lead the nation with 14 wins over NET top 50 teams.

54.6 – South Carolina is shooting 54.6 percent within six feet from the basket, compared to the SEC average 48.3 percent.

NOTES

The Auburn Series
The Gamecocks lead the overall series 26-21, including wins in the last 11 meetings and a 14-3 mark in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09). South Carolina is 14-7 against Auburn in Columbia.

In the most recent meeting, the Gamecocks posted a 77-58 win in Auburn on Feb. 4, 2021. Four Gamecocks scored in double figures, including LeLe Grissett off the bench. South Carolina out-rebounded the Tigers 51-29 in that game and held Auburn to just six points in the first quarter.

In Auburn’s last trip to Colonial Life Arena, then-#1/1 South Carolina claimed a 79-53 decision on Feb. 13, 2020. The Gamecock offense was on fire in the second (.583) and third (.688) quarters.

Home Sweet Home
The Gamecocks are 492-165 (.749) all-time in home games, including a 180-34 mark under head coach Dawn Staley. That .841 winning percentage is second among the program’s all-time head coaches (Pam Parsons (41-7) .854).

Playing in its 19th season at Colonial Life Arena, South Carolina boasts a 243-67 (.784) record in the building, including three undefeated seasons since 2013-14. Staley’s share of that record is 177-34 (.839).
 

Schedule Strength
South Carolina leads the country with 10 games against nationally ranked teams, seven of which were in the AP top 15 at the time of the game. Wins in all 10 of those games have the Gamecocks atop the NET rankings as well.

The Gamecocks’ non-conference schedule is rated third-toughest in the country and preceded an SEC slate that includes four games against conference rivals in this week’s national rankings.

South Carolina has 14 wins against NET top-50 teams, the most of any team this season.

All-Everything Aliyah Boston
From her career debut triple-double to becoming the only 2021 finalist for both the Naismith Trophy and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, junior Aliyah Boston has spent two seasons on the national stage. In her third campaign, she is poised to rise to the top step.

Boston entered her third season as a two-time All-American and two-time Lisa Leslie Center Award winner. She averages a double-double for her career (14.2 ppg/10.8 rpg) while her 48 career double-doubles leads active SEC players, ranks fifth among Div. I active players and is fourth in program history. In 38 career games against ranked opponents, her averages rise to 14.7 ppg and 11.8 rpg.

Boston is USA Today’s Preseason Player of the Year and a unanimous First-Team All-American. Dropping over 20  pounds since the start of her sophomore season, Boston was all about basketball this summer, helping the U.S. to gold at the FIBA AmeriCup and spending time training with NBA legend Tim Duncan.

Henny-thing Goes
Senior point guard Destanni Henderson is coming into her own in her final collegiate season, proving that trust in the process works. Entering the program as the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2018, she waited her turn to step in to the starting role – even accepting a star bench position as a sophomore instead of clamoring for a starting role at another guard spot.

In two seasons as the starting point guard, Henderson is handing out 4.7 assists per game, including 27 games with five or more, and has a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Her 11.8 points per game in that time includes 41.2 percent shooting from 3-point range.

The increased scoring as a starter helped Henderson join the 1,000-point club at Arkansas on Jan. 14.