LEXINGTON, Ky. – Aliyah Boston had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Zia Cooke had 10 of her 20 points during a 16-0 rally in the second quarter and top-ranked South Carolina retired in the fourth quarter to defeat Kentucky 95-66 on Thursday night.
After the fight back to Victory in the state of Mississippi On Sunday, the Gamecocks (17-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame another street challenge from the Wildcats to retain a share of the first-place conference.
Kentucky’s 16-1 run in the first and second quarters gave them a 31-21 lead with a 5-27 at halftime and a huge dose of confidence against the reigning national champions. But South Carolina picked up speed quickly. Boston, who shot 9 of 11, responded with a jump and Cooke added a 3-pointer, three-pointer play and two layups during the rise to lead 37-33 at the break.
“I was just playing my part and letting the game come to me and just being ready when the ball comes to me,” said Cooke, who made 8 of 14 shots from the field with five layups. “We have that The game is full of ups and downs at times. We just kept our pace and did what we do.
The Gamecocks retained a small cushion after three quarters before going off the floor to retire in the fourth 13 of 17.
Maddie Scherr posted a career-high 25 points with five 3s for the Wildcats (8-9, 0-4) who lost to their second top 10 opponent this week. Kentucky lost 67-48 until now no. 5 LSU on Sunday in the Rupp Arena.
Jada Walker added 17 points and Robyn Benton 10 for Kentucky, who shot 42% but were only passed by the bigger Gamecocks 35-29.
“I just went in and tried to talk to them about the positives,” said Kentucky coach Kyra Elzy. “You showed what you’re made of in three quarters against the country’s No. 1. They made fourth, we can learn from that.”
South Carolina nearly doubled Kentucky in scoring (62-32) on their way to a season-high 64% (35 of 55). Kamilla Cardoso added 12 points and Laeticia Amihere 11 as the Gamecocks also dominated the bench to go 39-10.
Thursday marked the teams’ first meeting since Kentucky upset the top seeded Gamecocks 64-62 to win the SEC tournament title. South Carolina won its second national title and hasn’t looked back despite entering the competition with a four-way tie at the top of the league.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: A double-digit deficit didn’t deter the Gamecocks, who had plenty of time to regroup and use their size and speed to reclaim the lead. Cooke sparked the rally, contributing key plays when needed to help her team survive another road test. Red-hot shooting also helped as they surpassed their 63% accuracy against Auburn.
“Sometimes you just have to let things go,” coach Dawn Staley said of the crucial run. “I just wanted to take Kentucky’s best shot and see how we would react to that. …. We will feel that. The most important thing is not to panic.”
Kentucky: The Wildcats stayed within range but couldn’t stop Boston or Cooke, who found plenty of layup room inside. Scherr made 10 of 15 from the field and 5 of 7 from deep to surpass her previous best of 22 points on Sunday. Inside scoring was a different story against the nation’s top shot-blocking team, averaging 9.6 blocks; South Carolina denied 11 attempts.
“I know they would eventually fall,” Scherr said. “I had all the encouragement from my teammates and coaches and that’s what got me there.”
NEXT
South Carolina: hosts Missouri on Sunday.
Kentucky: Visits Florida Sunday to start a two-game road swing.
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