FINAL: Gamecocks Pull Away From Bulldogs In 85-66 Win
The South Carolina Gamecocks came into today's contest against Mississippi State with an opportunity to secure a weekend sweep over the Bulldogs' men's and women's basketball teams. Dawn Staley's team wound up holding their end of the bargain, defeating Sam Purcell's squad 85-66.
In the first quarter, both teams got off to hot starts on the offensive end. The Bulldogs were the first ones to establish a rhythm on that end of the floor, using a combination of essentially block-out screens on the low block and the speed of their guards, specifically Lauren Park-Lane, to hit five of their first nine shots and take a 15-10 lead.
However, South Carolina would respond immediately with a run of their own, outscoring Mississippi State 24-9 between the 3:57 mark in the first quarter and the 7:47 mark in the second quarter to take a ten-point.
Kamilla Cardoso puts up a shot against Mississippi State Center Jessika Carter (7th Jan., 2023)
Jeff Blake | USA Today Network
That outburst set the Gamecocks up with a chance to potentially slam the door shut on the Bulldog's chances of the winning the game, but after turning over the ball five times and allowing six Mississippi State offensive rebounds in the second quarter, Dawn Staley's squad found themselves with just a ten point lead going into halftime.
In the third quarter, both teams traded shots as the Gamecocks continued to struggle pulling away from their SEC opponent. However, a 15-2 run that took place in between both the third and fourth quarters, spurred by three 3-pointers, would help South Carolina pull away in this one. Four Gamecocks wound up in double figures with Bree Hall's 15 points leading all scorers.
Dawn Staley's will be back on the road in their next game when they take on the Missouri Tigers on Thursday night.
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