Gamecocks Put On A Masterclass Against Auburn

Head coach Dawn Staley's South Carolina squad put together one of their best all-around performances of the season against the Auburn Tigers on Thursday night.

When you're the No. 1 team in the country, like the South Carolina Gamecocks, and carrying an undefeated record heading into a conference game, it can become difficult to put together a game that vastly exceeds people's expectations. 

For head coach Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, however, they accomplished just that on Thursday night, as while they defeated the Auburn Tigers by an astonishing 52 points, it was how they won that made the performance so impressive.

Carolina got off to a hot start early in the contest, making seven of their first nine shots, all of which were in the paint area, while the Tigers made only two of their first thirteen shot attempts. It was clear from the jump that South Carolina was confident, and they used this as the catalyst for a more aggressive approach on the offensive end. 

This was noticeable with point guard Kierra Fletcher, who took more jump shots than usual early on. As the game progressed, she seemed laser-focused, dishing the ball to the low block where Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso saw multiple one-on-one opportunities. 

Zia Cooke, who still probably hasn't shaken the euphoria from her career performance against Georgia earlier in the week, has found a niche as the Gamecocks' volume shooter this season and isn't afraid to put up threes in quick succession or drive straight to the basket.

The Gamecocks had their way with the Tigers' defense, as four different Carolina players scored double-digit points, and the team shot 44 percent from behind the arc and 83 percent at the charity stripe. 

Some aspects of the game remained business as usual for South Carolina, as they owned the glass throughout the matchup, securing twenty more rebounds than the Tigers. 

This is the game from a defending national champion that puts future opponents on notice because South Carolina won practically every aspect of this game against Auburn. While the Tigers are nowhere near as talented as the Gamecocks, that's a feat that's still extremely difficult to pull off against a conference foe. 

Some will look at the final score and assume this was a typical South Carolina game, but the truth is it was anything but that, and that's just what coach Staley and her squad want to keep going as they get closer to March.

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