South Carolina women's basketball, Dawn Staley prove power of depth in ugly win vs Utah
On paper, South Carolina women's basketball probably should have lost to No. 7 Utah in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase on Sunday.
The No. 1 Gamecocks (9-0) won 78-69 over the Utes (8-2) at Mohegan Sun in Unacasville, Connecticut, but they trailed in multiple key areas. Utah star Alissa Pili scored a career-high 37 points even after spending most of the second quarter on the bench with three fouls. The Gamecocks gave up a season-worst 23 turnovers to Utah's 17 while committing 19 fouls. They were even outscored in the paint with 44 points to the Utes' 46.
Given just those stats, most would predict a Utah victory. Dominance is one thing, but it's almost more impressive to see South Carolina get the job done with an overwhelmingly sloppy performance.
“I’d much rather get the win and have Pili score 37 on us, then her score 37 with the win," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. "Now, that’s a little bit hard to swallow, but utmost respect for Pili. Utah, I hope we don’t see them in the tournament and whoever does get to see them, good luck to you.”
Though Kamilla Cardoso was the team's leading scorer with 17 points shooting 6-of-9 from the field, it was Te-Hina Paopao who put South Carolina on her back in the final minutes. The Oregon transfer scored seven of the team's 16 fourth-quarter points to finish with 15 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
"The trust of my teammates and coaches, I love them for that," Paopao said. "Having them be able to trust me in those important moments, I'm just grateful to have it ... We just have to have the mentality that we've got to get better every day, have each other's backs and come ready to execute what the coaches have."
South Carolina also had to flex its depth with four players scoring in double-digits. Eight of the 10 players who saw the floor picked up at least two fouls, and both Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins played seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Every forward on the roster played except freshman Sahnya Jah and all shot at least 50% from the field.
Sophomore Chloe Kitts dominated the boards with a team-high seven and two of the team's nine offensive rebounds. Watkins wasn't far behind with eight points, six rebounds and two blocks, and she had the highest plus-minus among the forwards with a +7.
This South Carolina team is far from perfect, and it just keeps winning anyway. Whether its 3-point shooting, paint dominance or lockdown defense, the Gamecocks can win in so many different ways, and it's the reason they're the single most dangerous team in the country with conference play just weeks away.
“We can only get better,” Staley said. “That’s the thing. This is the worst we’re going to be and we’re just in December.”
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women's basketball proves power of depth in Utah win
