South Carolina Basketball: 3 thumbs up, 3 thumbs down vs. South Dakota State

South Carolina Gamecocks. KAMILLA CARDOSO . Thumbs Up. Kamilla Cardoso was a force once again on Monday. Other than a couple of nice possessions from SDSU’s Brooklyn Meyer, she owned the paint on both ends of the floor. An efficient 23 points went nicely with her 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. Driving guards got swatted when they approached Mount Cardoso, and no big other than Meyer had a chance when she was in the paint. She also shot 7-8 from the free throw line..

Thumbs Up. Perimeter defense was really good for most of this game. Raven Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Bree Hall were impossible to get by at times, and the active hands of Johnson and Fulwiley caused lots of problems for the Jackrabbit guards. Forwards Ashlyn Watkins, Chloe Kitts, and Sahnya Jah had some really nice moments after switching, as well.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. PERIMETER DEFENSE

Thumbs Up. Yes, Raven Johnson already got some flowers for her performance as a defender on the perimeter. However, she was great in every way on Monday. She set a career-high with 18 points but still dished 6 assists. Her running mate in Dawn Staley’s double point guard system Te-Hina Paopao missed the game, and she handled running the offense even more than usual. Had her teammates made some shots, she would have registered a double-double as she set her fellow Gamecocks up for a lot of open looks. Perhaps most importantly, Johnson had 1 turnover and 0 fouls despite playing 34 minutes as the primary ballhandler and first line of defense on the other end.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. REALLY GOOD RAVEN