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Boston, Cardoso and No. 1 Gamecocks top Memphis 79-54
Women's Basketball  . 

Boston, Cardoso and No. 1 Gamecocks top Memphis 79-54

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)Aliyah Boston had her 66th career double-double and Kamilla Cardoso had a second straight game with double-figure points and rebounds as No. 1 South Carolina dominated underneath for a 79-54 victory over Memphis on Saturday.

Boston, the 6-foot-5 reigning AP Player of the Year, had 14 points and 10 boards. The 6-7 Cardoso finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, making 9 of 12 shots all from a foot or two away from the basket against the overmatched Tigers (4-4).

South Carolina started the season 8-0 for a second straight year and the sixth time in coach Dawn Staley’s 15 seasons.

Staley, who is 5-6, was known as one of the toughest, most determined players of her generation in college, the pros and the Olympics. Yet, she’s built a powerhouse with tall, talented players like Boston and Cardoso.

Memphis had no answers: The Tigers were outscored 60-14 in the paint and out-rebounded 52-30. They lost their third straight and second in a row to a Top-5 opponent after falling to No. 5 Indiana 79-64 on Nov. 26.

Laeticia Amihere, a 6-4 senior, had 10 points and three of South Carolina’s eight blocks.

Things started well for Memphis, which was up 5-0 just 68 seconds in on Madison Griggs’ 3-pointer and Lanetta Williams’ bucket. That’s when the Gamecocks got going, outscoring the Tigers 27-9 the rest of the period to take control of the game.

Cardoso’s first close-in basket tied things at 12 and her next one put South Carolina out front. Cardoso added five more baskets in the opening quarter.

Jamirah Shutes and Destyne Jackson had 10 points each to lead the Tigers.


Gamecock Notables

  • After breaking the 14-14 tie, the Gamecocks went on a 29-12 run to put themselves up 43-26 heading out of the half 
  • As a team, South Carolina put up 52 points off the bench (65.8%), in addition to 60 points in the paint alone (compared to Memphis’ total score of 54).
  • Junior Kamilla Cardoso came off the bench hot, tying the game at 12-12 and then followed with 10 of the Gamecocks’ next 15 points to help South Carolina finish the first quarter with a 10-0 run. For the second-straight game, she scored the most points of her Gamecock career, finishing with 18 to go with her second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
  • Senior Laeticia Amihere went on a personal a 6-0 run in the second quarter, notching three consecutive layups on two steals and a block.
  • Senior Aliyah Boston had an excellent showing in the third quarter, putting up eight of the Gamecocks’ 17 points in addition to six rebounds. She finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds, marking her 66th career double-double – just six shy of the Gamecocks’ all-time record.
  • Bree Hall broke a three-minute scoring drought for South Carolina in the fourth, tallying seven of the team’s 19 points in the period.
  • With attendance listed at 11,943, today’s game was the 100th-straight regular season game with at least 10,000 fans at Colonial Life Arena.
  • The win over Memphis in CLA is the 29th straight win at home.