South Carolina Basketball: Senior Day Victory over Georgia Caps Undefeated Regular Season for Gamecocks

Dawn Staley and her South Carolina basketball team celebrated Senior Day with a victory over the Georgia Bulldogs, finishing off the program’s first-ever undefeated regular season. After an emotional Senior Day presentation, the Bulldogs gave the defending national champions a fight that many fans weren’t expecting.

The first half was a highly-competitive and physical brand of basketball. Georgia outshot the Gamecocks early and even had a share of the lead around the mid-way point of the second quarter. When the rest of her team couldn’t put the ball in the basket, Aliyah Boston carried the load, scoring 11 of her team’s 22 points in the first quarter to give her team the lead at 22-19.

Getting 75 of the 94 minutes played by guards in the contest, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, and Olivia Thompson combined to go 5/27 from the field. Kierra Fletcher was the only guard to have a good showing offensively, as she added 8 points on a perfect 2/2 from the field and 4/4 from the free throw line. Thankfully for the Gamecocks, the forwards came ready to play. Boston went for 25 points and eleven rebounds on 69% shooting, Kamilla Cardoso had a double-double of her own with 13 and 10, and Laeticia Amihere added an efficient eight points from the field with six of them coming in about a two-minute stretch (though she did struggle from the line).

Rebounding and defense were the differences Sunday afternoon. As is often the case, the Gamecock defense was suffocating at times, holding Georgia to just 38% from the field, including a 12/29 combined effort for Georgia’s top scorers Javyn Nicholson and Diamond Battle. An outstanding 18/19 effort from the charity stripe kept the score relatively close for the Bulldogs. In contrast, the Gamecocks shot just 61%. Boston and Cardoso almost outrebounded Georgia by themselves as the front line led the way with 21 boards. The home team dominated on the glass 47-25.

After the game, the regular season SEC champion Gamecocks were honored and presented with the championship trophy, but it is certainly not the final trophy the team intends on bringing home this season.

The SEC Tournament is set to begin on March 1st and continue through the 5th. The Gamecocks will have somewhat of a homecourt advantage with the games being played in Greenville, South Carolina at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Being the #1-seed, South Carolina would receive a double-bye to the third round and will play the winner of the 8/9 matchup between Arkansas and Missouri.