No. 2 South Carolina tops No. 18 Tennessee: Rating, highlights from ladies's basketball sport – USA TODAY

South Carolina and Tennessee are two of the preeminent packages in women’s college basketball.
The Woman Vols are one of many sport’s historic titans, with eight NCAA championships and a number of the sport’s most iconic figures. Underneath coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks are the modern-day juggernaut, with three titles previously seven NCAA tournaments, together with two of the final three.
Within the newest assembly between the 2 sides, No. 2 South Carolina got here out on prime, using a sizzling begin to the second half and withstanding a late run to earn a 70-63 road victory towards No. 18 Tennessee in a matchup of top-20 groups on the Meals Metropolis Middle in Knoxville, Tennessee Monday evening.
The win improved the Gamecocks’ document to 20-1, stored their undefeated mark in SEC play alive and prolonged their regular-season convention winnning streak to an astonishing 55 video games. The Woman Vols fell to 15-5 and misplaced for the fifth time of their previous seven video games.
Tennessee obtained off to a sizzling begin, main 14-5 after a Ruby Whitehorn layup with 2:48 remaining within the first quarter. From there, what had been a cold-shooting South Carolina group heated up and responded forcefully, outscoring the Woman Vols 43-16 over the following 16:46 to take a commanding 18-point lead with six minutes remaining within the third quarter. That spurt was punctuated by a 13-4 run to open the second half.
Tennessee had a late 12-2 run to get inside six with 14 seconds left, nevertheless it finally wasn’t sufficient to undo what had been a largely underwhelming 35 minutes that preceded it.
Freshman Joyce Edwards had a game-high 18 factors for the Gamecocks, who picked up their fifteenth consecutive win following a Nov. 24 street loss towards a UCLA group that is now No. 1 within the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. 4 different South Carolina gamers completed in double figures, together with Chloe Kitts, who had 10 factors and a team-high seven rebounds.
Whitehorn had a team-high 12 factors for the Woman Vols, who had an uncharacteristically poor capturing evening towards a South Carolina group that possesses one of many sport’s most stifling defenses. Tennessee shot 30.7% as a group and made simply three of its 25 3-pointers (11.5%). The Woman Vols entered the competition averaging a Division I-best 11.5 made 3s per sport. Main scorer Talaysia Cooper embodied her group’s struggles, lacking 16 of her 21 photographs and 6 of her seven 3s.
It was the first game back for first-year Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell, who had given delivery to her first baby, Conor, precisely one week earlier.
This is a take a look at the rating, updates, highlights, and extra from South Carolina ladies’s basketball’s win at Tennessee:
REQUIRED READING:Kim Caldwell says she plans to coach Lady Vols against South Carolina, 7 days after having baby
South Carolina withstands the late cost from Tennessee and notches a 70-63 victory on the street towards the Woman Vols. The Gamecocks transfer to 20-1 on the season and prolong their SEC regular-season win streak to 55 video games. Tennessee, in the meantime, falls to 15-5 and suffers its fifth loss previously seven video games.
5 South Carolina gamers end in double figures, led by 18 factors from Joyce Edwards.
It isn’t fairly over but in Knoxville. A Ruby Whitehorn drive and layup will get the Woman Vols inside 9, 69-60, with 1:12 left. Doubtless too little, too late for Tennessee, nevertheless it’s had a ton of success attending to the basket and forcing South Carolina turnovers by utilizing a full-court press. Gamecocks have regarded uncomfortable for many of the fourth quarter.
Value noting that Tennessee wants three extra fouls to ship South Carolina into the bonus.
South Carolina nonetheless has a snug lead, nevertheless it’s rather less snug than it was a couple of minutes in the past. Tennessee is on a 10-2 run, getting it inside 14 with 5:58 remaining and has made 4 of its previous 5 photographs. A lot of the Woman Vols’ success this quarter has come from driving to the basket, with most of their factors coming on the rim. The group on the Meals Metropolis Middle’s moving into it, too.
Two of these factors got here on a layup from Tess Darby off a ravishing three-quarters courtroom go from Samara Spencer, who confirmed some glorious consciousness after amassing a defensive rebound.
The Woman Vols are going to wish each basket they’ll to get again into their sport towards South Carolina and simply missed out on a possibility for 2 factors. Tennessee obtained out into transition after a defensive rebound and Whitehorn had an open path to the basket, however the ball rolled off her fingers after the buzzer had already sounded.
It will be 57-39 South Carolina heading into the fourth quarter.
After trailing by 9 at halftime, the Woman Vols have fallen additional behind South Carolina within the third quarter, with the Gamecocks now holding a 52-34 lead. One large shortcoming for Tennessee — exterior capturing. In coach Kim Caldwell’s 3-point-heavy offense, the Woman Vols have missed 18 of their 20s tonight.
The Gamecocks decide up proper the place they left off from the second quarter, scoring 10 of the primary 12 factors of the third quarter to increase their result in 17, 45-28. Since falling behind 14-5 within the first quarter, South Carolina has outscored Tennessee by a 40-14 margin.
Chloe Kitts has been the catalyst to this point this quarter, with six of her group’s 10 factors.
This is a take a look at a number of the key stats at halftime, with South Carolina main Tennessee 35-26:
A dominant second quarter, one wherein it outscored Tennessee 22-12, offers South Carolina a 35-26 halftime lead. Gamecocks ahead Joyce Edwards leads all gamers with 11 factors and 5 rebounds. Wild to assume she’s only a freshman, which Daybreak Staley undoubtedly loves and no different coach within the SEC does.
It was a tough capturing quarter for the Woman Vols, who made simply 4 of their 16 photographs. South Carolina, conversely, went 9 of 15.
A Woman Vols group that took early management of the sport spent a lot of the second quarter languishing offensively. A made free throw from Jillian Hollingshead snapped a scoreless drought of 4:36 for Tennessee. Throughout that point, South Carolina scored 14 unanswered factors, giving it an 11-point lead.
The Gamecocks haven’t solely dug out of their early gap totally, however come out on the opposite finish of it. MiLaysia Fulwiley is left extensive open within the nook in entrance of the Tennessee bench twice in a handful of possessions and makes the Woman Vols pay on each events, draining 3-pointers which have keyed a 7-0 run.
South Carolina is out to a 24-20 lead with 4:46 remaining within the first half. The Woman Vols have missed their final 4 photographs and have not scored in 2:04.
Simply when the Gamecocks have been beginning to look disoriented, coach Daybreak Staley’s group responds. South Carolina fell behind by as might as 9, nevertheless it ends the primary quarter with eight unanswered factors. 4 of these got here from freshman Joyce Edwards, who has a game-high six factors.
A sloppy first quarter on the entire, with each groups turning it over 4 instances. Tennessee already has six offensive rebounds, however hasn’t been in a position to take benefit, with no second-chance factors. The Woman Vols made simply 5 of their 22 photographs within the opening 10 minutes. Won’t having the ability to adequately capitalize on South Carolina’s early woes come again to chew Kim Caldwell’s squad?
Samara Spencer could not fairly shake a South Carolina defender with a collection of up-fakes, however she’s ready to attract contact and throw up an acrobatic shot that goes in. With the following free throw, the Woman Vols are up 12-5 with 5 minutes left within the first quarter.
The Gamecocks, using a 54-game regular-season SEC win streak, have fallen behind early, trailing Tennessee 9-5 on the media timeout within the first quarter. They’ve made simply two of their eight photographs, although the Woman Vols have not been that significantly better, making simply three of their 9 makes an attempt.
Listed below are the beginning lineups for each South Carolina and Tennessee, in line with the StatBroadcast feed:
Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell is again on the sideline for the Woman Vols precisely one week after giving delivery to her first baby, Conor. She missed only one sport, an 80-76 loss final Thursday at No. 7 Texas.
South Carolina’s ladies’s basketball sport towards Tennessee will air on ESPN2 on Monday. Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) might be on the decision. Streaming choices for the sport embrace the ESPN app and Fubo, the final of which carries the ESPN household of networks and presents a free trial to potential subscribers.
Right here is how Lulu Kesin of The Greenville Information predicts the sport to play out:
Lulu Kesin, The Greenville News: South Carolina 95, Tennessee 83
The Woman Vols rating at a excessive clip however the Gamecocks’ self-discipline and defensive effort is simply too sturdy of a wall to interrupt via.
Right here is how Cora Corridor of the Knoxville Information-Sentinel believes the sport will go:
Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel: South Carolina 79, Tennessee 72
The Woman Vols might be aggressive, however they have not proven but that they’ll get throughout the end line towards nice groups. Tennessee will give South Carolina a run for its cash, however the Gamecocks’ depth might be an excessive amount of to beat.
Odds according to BetMGM.
This part, which might be up to date, is predicated on the SEC women’s basketball availability report.
South Carolina
Tennessee
Right here’s a take a look at the Gamecocks’ previous 5 video games and their upcoming matchup. To view their full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
Right here’s a take a look at the Woman Vols’ previous 5 video games and their upcoming matchup. To view their full 2024-25 schedule, click here.
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