The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team came out of the gates with a mission, last night: to score inside, early and often. That meant getting the ball to senior post player Demetress Adams, who scored 9 of her 10 points in the first half and helped provide a lead for the South Carolina team to use to put some pressure on the Davidson Wildcats. The Gamecocks also poured on the defensive pressure to set the tone for the rest of the game. Davidson actually outshot the Gamecocks in the first half, 41.7% vs. 33.3%, but USC also forced 20 Davidson turnovers in the first half (while committing only 10) and made the Wildcats run, all game long. The score at the half was only 32-23 and the Wildcats showed no signs of backing down. However, the second half was much less productive for Davidson, as their shooting percentage dropped to 20% and the Gamecocks upped theirs to 41%. Davidson's senior forward and scoring leader Mercedes Robinson didn't hit a single field goal in the second half, though she did hit all of her 4 free throws. The Wildcats team only had 6 field goals and 12 foul shots in the entire second half, as the relentless pace set by the Gamecocks wore them down.
This was an excellent test for the Gamecocks, against a team with similar size and a willingness to run. Both teams employed a full-court press, at times. The Gamecocks initially had a little bit of trouble attacking the press, but adjustments were made and first-half problems were solved. There was some raggedy play from both teams, but both teams were playing a fast-paced, aggressive game and looking for an edge over the other. The Gamecocks seemed to find the edge with sheer stamina; Davidson never quit and never stopped attacking, but by the middle of the second period they seemed to have lost just enough of their energy that the South Carolina team was always a half-step ahead. That half-step was enough to enable them to hit multiple layups for (relatively) easy points. Of the Gamecocks 68 points, 40 were scored in the paint.

Once again, the freshmen ran wild, accounting for 35 of the 68 points scored. They also contributed 17 of the team's 45 rebounds. Freshman guard Miranda Tate led all scorers with 13 points and 4 rebounds, while Lakeisha Sutton added 11 points (shooting 50% from the field and 100% from the foul line.) Demetress Adams was also in double figures with 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds and 4 steals. Sophomore point guard Samone Kennedy, playing in short spurts, scored 6 points (twice, simply outrunning the defense to the basket for fast-break layups) and had a game-high 7 assists.
For Davidson, Mercedes Robinson led the team with 9 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals. However, she also had a miserable shooting night and contributed 5 turnovers. Two other Wildcats exceeded her turnover total: Monica Laune with 6 (offset, somewhat, by her 6 steals) and Ashley Lax with an astounding 9 turnovers for the game. Gamecocks fans were thrilled to see the team get their first home win, as well as a noticeable improvement in team play from only 5 days earlier. Head Coach Dawn Staley said that she may have had them "thinking a little bit too much" in the earlier games and that the emphasis in the past three days had been to push the tempo up a little bit and try to get shots when they're open, rather than setting up and looking for all of the available options. That strategy seemed to work against Davidson--no pushover, but not a team of the caliber that the Gamecocks will be facing in the very near future. Still, the freshmen (and other younger players with little experience) are learning as they go, acquiring valuable experience and confidence and learning how to play within the framework of this South Carolina team.

The Gamecocks are off to Cancun, Mexico for their next two games. They start the Cancun Classic with a game against Ohio University on Friday night and will play either UNC-Wilmington or Fordham University on Saturday night. After the Thanksgiving holiday, the Gamecocks take a trip to Wake Forest University on December 3.