C
ChrisWellbaum
Guest
All 16 Gamecocks are here. The 14 expected to play are in uniform. Lele Grissett and Raven Johnson are in sweats. Raven is on crutches with a large brace on her left leg, but still trying to dance during warmups. Saniya Rivers has started a dunk contest.
Tip is at 7 on SEC Network+. Brett Ball is doing color. She is a former Gamecock who was never able to play because of a heart condition.
It's been a busy couple of days if you need to catch up:
WBB: Watkins commits to South Carolina
WBB Video: Ashlyn Watkins Commits
WBB: Five Things to Watch - Clemson
WBB: Adjusting Without Raven Johnson
WBB: Johnson to Miss Season
Terence Young performed the National Anthem. I'm always happy to see Terence. We shot many a Christmas special together.
There's also big news today from the NCAA: the tournament is expanding to 68 teams and the field will be announced on Selection Sunday. That probably doesn't affect South Carolina much, aside from the watch party and possibly hosting one of the games.
Starters: Henny, Cooke, Beal, Saxton, Boston.
Gamecocks win the toss and we are underway.
It's been pretty sloppy early. 7 total fouls, including two charges on USC, and four total turnovers. But Beal hits a three and it gets loud. Nice to have that back.
South Carolina leads 8-4 at the media timeout.
First subs: Cardoso and LA for Boston and Saxton.
South Carolina leads 15-14 after 1Q thanks to a Henny three. There is no flow at all thanks to ticky-tack fouls and cold shooting. USC is 5-15 from the floor and 3-7 from the line. Six turnovers so far for USC, but a couple were on really questionable foul calls.
Inyang, Clemson's leading rebounder, is on the bench with two fouls.
Boston joins her.
Foul trouble galore: Cooke and Boston are on the bench with 2. Hank has 3, Saine, Inyang, and Robinson each have 3 for Clemson.
LA blocks a shot and screams at the crowd. Maybe that will get the Gamecocks going. They lead 20-14.
USC leads 20-14 at the media timeout. The lineup on the floor is Hall, Beal, LA, Saxton, Cardoso. That's an offensively challenged lineup. Makes me assume Rivers isn't available again (she's also wearing sweatpants).
Who had LA as the new backup point guard?
Dawn takes the use-it-or-lose-it timeout to set up a play with 23.3 seconds left. The play includes Olivia Thompson! Sadly, we don't get to see it because LA is called for a charge.
Gamecocks lead 27-17 at halftime. Defense? Good. Offense? Good grief.
Gamecocks are shooting 31.8%, 3-8 from three, but 10-15 from the line. Clemson is shooting 20%, 0-7 from three, and 5-8 from the line. 13 turnovers by USC (7 for Clemson), and the Tigers have a 9-2 edge in points off. USC is +8 rebounding and Cardoso has 3 blocks.
Keep in mind (I'm desperate for a silver lining) that Cooke and Boston played a total of 13 minutes combined. Hopefully the return of the top two returning scorers will help the second half.
Third quarter underway. Boston posts, drives, scores. Then is called for a foul boxing out on the other end. She is furious. At least as furious as Aliyah Boston gets. So she drains a three. I couldn't hear is she said, "Ball don't lie."
After Henny finds Beal for a layup, Boston and Cooke run a two-man game that ends with a layup by Cooke. Timeout Clemson, down 36-21.
Ashlyn Watkins is shown on the video board and gets a nice ovation.
This is more like it. Henny grabs an offensive rebound one-handed and flips it to Cooke for a three. Then she hits Beal in transition on the other side for a three. Gamecocks are 7-8 from the floor in the third (and the lone miss still ended in points), including 4-5 from three. It's an 18-6 run and a 45-23 lead.
Kiara Lewis drives on Cardoso and gets the foul. They probably did that a few times in practice at Syracuse.
Cooke draws the fifth foul on Saine. Cooke has 13 points in 17 minutes.
Gamecocks lead 54-32 after 3Q. They shot 64.3% in the third and were 4-7 from three. Cooke leads all scorers with 13.
Announced attendance: 13,363. That's the most in the country so far this year.
We are into garbage time. And Fowl Shot time. Kiara Lewis breaks fans hearts when she makes the second of two free throws. Gamecocks lead 64-37.
A small child is screaming "No mercy!" as Russell feeds Feagin for a layup. The bench is empty, and Saniya Rivers is still on the sidelines in a sweatsuit.
Gamecocks win 76-45. Henderson had 16 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Dawn grabs the mic to thank fans for coming back.
Tip is at 7 on SEC Network+. Brett Ball is doing color. She is a former Gamecock who was never able to play because of a heart condition.
It's been a busy couple of days if you need to catch up:
WBB: Watkins commits to South Carolina
WBB Video: Ashlyn Watkins Commits
WBB: Five Things to Watch - Clemson
WBB: Adjusting Without Raven Johnson
WBB: Johnson to Miss Season
Terence Young performed the National Anthem. I'm always happy to see Terence. We shot many a Christmas special together.
There's also big news today from the NCAA: the tournament is expanding to 68 teams and the field will be announced on Selection Sunday. That probably doesn't affect South Carolina much, aside from the watch party and possibly hosting one of the games.
Starters: Henny, Cooke, Beal, Saxton, Boston.
Gamecocks win the toss and we are underway.
It's been pretty sloppy early. 7 total fouls, including two charges on USC, and four total turnovers. But Beal hits a three and it gets loud. Nice to have that back.
South Carolina leads 8-4 at the media timeout.
First subs: Cardoso and LA for Boston and Saxton.
South Carolina leads 15-14 after 1Q thanks to a Henny three. There is no flow at all thanks to ticky-tack fouls and cold shooting. USC is 5-15 from the floor and 3-7 from the line. Six turnovers so far for USC, but a couple were on really questionable foul calls.
Inyang, Clemson's leading rebounder, is on the bench with two fouls.
Boston joins her.
Foul trouble galore: Cooke and Boston are on the bench with 2. Hank has 3, Saine, Inyang, and Robinson each have 3 for Clemson.
LA blocks a shot and screams at the crowd. Maybe that will get the Gamecocks going. They lead 20-14.
USC leads 20-14 at the media timeout. The lineup on the floor is Hall, Beal, LA, Saxton, Cardoso. That's an offensively challenged lineup. Makes me assume Rivers isn't available again (she's also wearing sweatpants).
Who had LA as the new backup point guard?
Dawn takes the use-it-or-lose-it timeout to set up a play with 23.3 seconds left. The play includes Olivia Thompson! Sadly, we don't get to see it because LA is called for a charge.
Gamecocks lead 27-17 at halftime. Defense? Good. Offense? Good grief.
Gamecocks are shooting 31.8%, 3-8 from three, but 10-15 from the line. Clemson is shooting 20%, 0-7 from three, and 5-8 from the line. 13 turnovers by USC (7 for Clemson), and the Tigers have a 9-2 edge in points off. USC is +8 rebounding and Cardoso has 3 blocks.
Keep in mind (I'm desperate for a silver lining) that Cooke and Boston played a total of 13 minutes combined. Hopefully the return of the top two returning scorers will help the second half.
Third quarter underway. Boston posts, drives, scores. Then is called for a foul boxing out on the other end. She is furious. At least as furious as Aliyah Boston gets. So she drains a three. I couldn't hear is she said, "Ball don't lie."
After Henny finds Beal for a layup, Boston and Cooke run a two-man game that ends with a layup by Cooke. Timeout Clemson, down 36-21.
Ashlyn Watkins is shown on the video board and gets a nice ovation.
This is more like it. Henny grabs an offensive rebound one-handed and flips it to Cooke for a three. Then she hits Beal in transition on the other side for a three. Gamecocks are 7-8 from the floor in the third (and the lone miss still ended in points), including 4-5 from three. It's an 18-6 run and a 45-23 lead.
Kiara Lewis drives on Cardoso and gets the foul. They probably did that a few times in practice at Syracuse.
Cooke draws the fifth foul on Saine. Cooke has 13 points in 17 minutes.
Gamecocks lead 54-32 after 3Q. They shot 64.3% in the third and were 4-7 from three. Cooke leads all scorers with 13.
Announced attendance: 13,363. That's the most in the country so far this year.
We are into garbage time. And Fowl Shot time. Kiara Lewis breaks fans hearts when she makes the second of two free throws. Gamecocks lead 64-37.
A small child is screaming "No mercy!" as Russell feeds Feagin for a layup. The bench is empty, and Saniya Rivers is still on the sidelines in a sweatsuit.
Gamecocks win 76-45. Henderson had 16 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Dawn grabs the mic to thank fans for coming back.
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