Gamecocks cruise past Lady Bulldogs

ATHENS, Ga. — Aliyah Boston is making double-doubles look as automatic as South Carolina’s wins. Boston scored 18 points with 12 rebounds, and No. 1 South Carolina coasted after a strong start to beat No. 17 Georgia 72-54 on Sunday for its 11th consecutive win. Boston posted her 17th consecutive double-double and 18th overall in 24 games. Destanni Henderson added 15 points and Boston also blocked two shots and had two steals for the Gamecocks (23-1, 11-1 Southeastern Conference), who led by 30 points in the first half and were up 51-25 at halftime. South Carolina kept its advantage in double figures despite being outscored in the third and fourth periods. “It’s just a hole that’s too big to dig yourself out of when you’re playing a team as talented as they are,” Georgia coach Joni

Taylor said. South Carolina is unbeaten since losing at Missouri in overtime to open its conference schedule on Dec. 30. The Lady Bulldogs (17-7, 6-6) lost for the third straight game despite Jenna Staiti’s 15 points and 10 rebounds. Que Morrison, who scored 11 points, provided a highlight for Georgia in the third period when she went behind her back for a fancy layup despite being fouled by Henderson. Morrison sank the free throw for the three-point play.

› ATLANTA — Eylia Love scored a career-high 26 points — offsetting a career-best 40 points by Clemson’s Delicia Washington — as No. 11 Georgia Tech survived an upset bid, defeating the Tigers 92-84 in overtime Sunday. Love sank 10 of 16 shots as the Yellow Jackets (19-6, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended a two-game skid by beating the Tigers (9-17, 3-12) for the ninth straight time.

Sarah Bates had 15 points and Love scored 13 to guide Tech to a 40-32 lead at halftime. Clemson battled back to take a 62-59 lead into the fourth quarter after falling behind 9-0 to begin the game. It remained a one-possession game the whole fourth quarter. Lotta-Maj Lahtinen buried a jumper with three seconds left to put the Jackets on top 77-75, but Washington scored in the paint at the buzzer to send the game to OT. Tech never trailed in the extra period after

Nerea Hermosa and Lahtinen had back-to-back layups to open the scoring. Lorela Cubaj had 22 points and seven assists for the Jackets, Hermosa added 19 points and nine rebounds and Bates scored 17. Daisha Bradford added 18 points for the Tigers.

› BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 38 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and led a third-quarter surge that sent the Boston Celtics past the Atlanta Hawks 10595 on Sunday for their eighth straight win. Robert Williams added 10 points and 14 rebounds, Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and Marcus Smart added

13. Trae Young had 30 points and 10 assists to lead Atlanta, keeping the Hawks within range until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 26 points and Clint Capela pulled down 17 rebounds for the Hawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games.