South Carolina rebounds from rare loss

SEC/TOP 25 WOMEN

NO. 2 SOUTH CAROLINA 76, NO. 17 KENTUCKY 55

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Zia Cooke scored 21 points and No. 2 South Carolina got back on track after its first SEC loss in two seasons with a 76-55 victory over No. 17 Kentucky on Sunday.

The Gamecocks (18-3, 13-1) had won 31 consecutive over league opponents before blowing a double-digit, second-half lead at No. 21 Tennessee this past Thursday night.

Cooke and South Carolina’s stingy defense ensured it wouldn’t be two consecutive defeats. The Gamecocks held Rhyne Howard to 12 points on 2-of-11 shooting as senior LeLe Grissett shadowed the Kentucky star much of the game.

Point guard Destanni Henderson added 14 points as the Gamecocks’ backcourt took control in a game where standout center Aliyah Boston finished with a season-low four points, nine fewer than her average coming in.

South Carolina broke out quickly in the second half as Grissett and Henderson had baskets to open a 38-30 lead.

A time out by Kentucky (15-6, 8-5) less than a minute in didn’t stop the Gamecocks’ charge and when Cooke drove to the hoop for a layup, got fouled and hit the free throw, they were up 43-32 and cruising to their fourth straight over the Wildcats.

Cooke said losing at Tennessee after leading 37-21 was a “bummer” because of how hard they worked. “But we came together, we practiced hard and knew we’d come out victorious if we stuck with the game plan.”

Kentucky entered pointing to this one. After all, the Wildcats held a nine-point lead at home on South Carolina last month before falling 75-70.

But they couldn’t get past South Carolina’s relentless defensive pressure. The Wildcats had just eight field goals and Howard was scoreless over the first 17 minutes as they fell behind 31-21.

Howard, however, broke free with a pair of three-pointers to lead a 9-2 Kentucky burst down the stretch and trailed just 34-30 at the half.

South Carolina blunted any hopes of Kentucky rally with their fast start to the third quarter. The Gamecocks held Howard to just six foul shots in the final 20 minutes as she missed all six of her field goal tries after halftime.

Grissett said Howard was the most important person on the court for Kentucky and the Gamecocks made sure to make it difficult on her. “Just lock in and focus what’s in front of us,” she said.

Grissett, the team’s lone senior honored before tipoff, had 13 points and Laeticia Amihere had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Kentucky Coach Kyra Elzy didn’t think Howard was off her game, instead crediting South Carolina with defensing her side of the floor to take away open shots. Elzy said the loss was as much her team’s struggles to rebound.

“We did not have the toughness we needed to rebound,” she said.

In other Top 25 games Sunday, Morgan Jones scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as Florida State stunned No. 3 Louisville 6859 in Tallahassee, Fla. Jones shot 7 of 13 from the floor and 12 of 15 from the free-throw line for the Seminoles (9-6, 8-6 ACC). Dana Evans had 13 points, 10 in the second half, but shot just 5 of 21 for Louisville (20-2, 13-2). … Aleah Goodman scored 20 points and Oregon State upset No. 8 UCLA 71-64 to boost its NCAA Tournament hopes. The game was tied at 57 with 5:57 remaining but the Beavers (8-6, 6-6 Pac-12) outscored the Bruins 14-7 the rest of the way. Michaela Onyenwere led UCLA (13-4, 11-4) with 21 points and Lauryn Miller added 13. … Jakia Brown-Turner scored a career-high 25 points and No. 4 North Carolina State avenged a loss earlier this month by beating rival North Carolina 82-63 in Raleigh, N.C. Elissa Cunane added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Wolfpack (15-2, 10-2 ACC). The Tar Heels (11-9, 6-9) got no closer than eight after halftime. … Kayla Wells had 18 points and eight rebounds and No. 5 Texas A&M rode a dominant fourth quarter to a 66-55 victory over Mississippi in Oxford, Miss. The Aggies (20-1, 11-1 SEC) won their eighth consecutive game, but the Rebels (9-9, 3-11) kept it competitive into the fourth, trailing just 44-39. Then it was all Texas A&M. … Dijonai Carrington scored 19 points, and No. 7 Baylor broke away from a halftime tie to beat Oklahoma 77-66 in Norman, Okla. … Moon Ursin had 17 points and Nalyssa Smith added 16 for the Lady Bears (17-2, 12-1 Big 12), who shot 57% in their ninth consecutive win. Madi Williams scored 21 points and Gabby Gregory added 19 for Oklahoma (8-10, 5-8). … Naz Hillmon scored 27 points and No. 11 Michigan defeated No. 15 Ohio State 75-66 in Ann Arbor, Mich., to split the season series. Hillmon scored 50 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in an 81-77 loss to the Buckeyes (13-4, 9-4) on Jan. 21 but only four Wolverines scored in that defeat. This time, seven Wolverines (13-2, 8-2 Big Ten) put up points, including Amy Dilk with 13 points and six assists, Akienreh Johnson scoring 12 points and Leigha Brown, who missed the first meeting, putting in 11. … Sydney Parrish hit four three-pointers and scored 17 points off the bench and No. 13 Oregon ended a three-game losing streak with a 72-48 win over Southern Cal in Los Angeles. Erin Boley added 13 points and eight rebounds for Oregon (13-7, 10-6 Pac-12). Alissa Pili scored 14 points for the Trojans (10-10, 8-9), who shot just 33% (18 of 55). … In Athens, Ga., Gabby Connally scored 24 points, Jordan Isaacs blocked a last-second shot and No. 22 Georgia defeated No. 21 Tennessee 57-55 for the Bulldogs’ first sweep of the Lady Vols in 36 years. A missed free throw by Connally with 22.1 seconds to go and alternating turnovers gave Tennessee a last chance with 10.2 seconds left. Top scorer Rennia Davis got the ball in the backcourt, worked to the left wing and put up a three-point attempt that Isaacs got her fingers on for the Bulldogs’ season-high 12th block. Que Morrison added 11 points for Georgia (17-4, 9-4 SEC). Davis scored 22 points for the Lady Vols (13-6, 7-4).

In other SEC games Sunday, Hayley Frank scored 26 points as Missouri defeated Florida 96-80 in Columbia, Mo. Aijha Blackwell added 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Tigers (8-9, 4-8). Shug Dickson scored 20 and Shannon Dufficy 19 for Missouri. Kiara Smith led Florida (10-11, 3-10) with 34 points and 11 rebounds. … Jasmine Walker had 20 points and nine rebounds in leading Alabama to a 71-63 victory over Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Ariyah Copeland added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Crimson Tide (156, 8-6). Rickea Jackson paced the Bulldogs (8-7, 3-6) with 18 points while Jessika Carter added 11 points and 12 rebounds.