Gamecocks Host Razorbacks for We Back Pat Game Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 1/1 South Carolina hosts #-/22 Arkansas on Sun., Jan. 22, for a 3:00 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2. The Gamecocks will join the rest of the league in celebrating We Back Pat, an SEC initiative honoring the legacy of legendary coach Pat Summitt and raising awareness for the Pat Summitt Foundation and its fight against Alzheimer’s.

FAN INFORMATION
A reminder to fans that Colonial Life Arena’s three entrances – main (by the fountain), Lincoln Street and College Street – open one hour prior to tipoff.

The Arkansas Series
South Carolina leads the overall series 24-18 after winning the last six meetings with Arkansas. The Gamecocks are 12-5 against the Razorbacks in Columbia, including wins in the last six meetings in Colonial Life Arena.

The two teams met twice in 2021-22 with #1/1 South Carolina claiming both victories – 61-52 in Fayetteville (Jan. 16) and 76-54 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Nashville (Mar. 4). Rebounding was the key in both with the Gamecocks holding a 20-board edge in Fayetteville and a 17-rebound margin in Nashville. Aliyah Boston was the top scorer and rebounder in both games, averaging 18.0 points and 13.5 boards in the set. In Nashville, she added a team-high five assists and led the way with five steals as well.

By the Numbers

3 – Only three Gamecocks average more than 20 minutes – Aliyah Boston (24.4), Zia Cooke (24.3) and Brea Beal (23.4). 

9 – South Carolina has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field nine times this season. 

17 – The Gamecocks’ 17 straight wins against ranked opponents is the second-longest streak in SEC history, trailing Tennessee’s 22 in 1997-98.

Gamecock Notables

• The Gamecocks have assisted on 56.3 percent of their made field goals in SEC action, logging a league-best 16.57 assists per game. Redshirt-freshman Raven Johnson leads the charge with 3.86 assists per SEC game, but she’s been sure-handed all season, ranking fifth in the nation with a 2.86 assist-to-turnover ratio.

• The result of South Carolina’s depth shows up best late in games. In three wins over ranked opponents this season, South Carolina outscored its foe by 8.3 points per fourth quarter, shooting 42.9 percent while allowing just 19.5 percent accuracy in the final period.

• The Gamecocks’ 17.7 offensive rebounds per game (4th in NCAA) have delivered 19.2 second-chance points per outing. Their work on the defensive glass (32.2/gm) has held opponents to just 6.9 second-chance points per game.

• South Carolina’s block party includes four of the SEC’s top-10 shot blockers, but they are not alone. All but one Gamecock has recorded at least one block this season.

• In her last five outings, Aliyah Boston’s numbers have exploded, averaging 16.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and even 2.2 assists while shooting 68.8 percent (33-of-48) in that stretch. She has tied the program record with 72 career double-doubles (Sheila Foster, 1979-82).

• Boston continues to be among the most valuable players in the nation on both sides of the ball, according to Her Hoop Stats. Among players averaging at least 20 minutes, she leads the nation in player defensive rating (60.8) while coming in seventh in player offensive rating (135.6). Her win shares per 40 minutes comes in third (0.37).

• Zia Cooke’s efficient shooting season includes nine games of 50.0 percent or better shooting, helping her to a career-best 41.7 percent mark for the season.

Ranked Readings
Against ranked teams, South Carolina is 102-66 (.607) in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09), and even that mark is skewed by the early seasons of her tenure.

Since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, the Gamecocks are 87-27 (.763) against ranked teams, including a 39-6 mark since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Senior Aliyah Boston has thrived in her 45 career games against ranked opponents, averaging 15.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks while shooting 53.8 percent. Senior Zia Cooke’s offense is not far behind with her 13.7 points per game in those 45 outings.

So far this season, South Carolina is 3-0 against ranked opponents, winning those games by an average of 13.0 points with a +7.7 rebounding margin.

That’s So Raven
Redshirt-freshman point guard Raven Johnson looks to finally have both feet planted firmly under her midway through her first full season, and the Gamecocks are benefiting on both ends of the court.

Playing just 15.5 minutes per game, Johnson leads the team in steals (1.3) and assists (3.50, 11th in SEC). Her SEC-best 2.86 assist-to-turnover ratio is ffifth in the nation. With 1.86 steals per conference outing, she ranks fifth in the SEC, and her 3.86 assists per league game are good for seventh.

While those numbers have been building all season, SEC play has seen Johnson’s own scoring take root as well with 4.9 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting. 

Redshirt-freshman point guard Raven Johnson looks to finally have both feet planted firmly under her midway through her first full season, and the Gamecocks are benefiting on both ends of the court.

Playing just 15.5 minutes per game, Johnson leads the team in steals (1.3) and assists (3.50, 11th in SEC). Her SEC-best 2.86 assist-to-turnover ratio is ffifth in the nation. With 1.86 steals per conference outing, she ranks fifth in the SEC, and her 3.86 assists per league game are good for seventh.

While those numbers have been building all season, SEC play has seen Johnson’s own scoring take root as well with 4.9 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting.