Take a look at the statistical comparison below and decide which team you think won.
If I hadn't read an introductory article like this, I would probably choose Team A. Offensive rebounds at that level can turn into second-chance points, turnovers, steals, which can turn into extra possessions, and those extra possessions can turn into turns. For additional shots.
Team B is the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks. On Sunday, they played Team A, or No. 5. texas longhornsand not only won, but won convincingly in a 67-50 rout of the new SEC team.
This winning performance was a far cry from Week 3 of the season, when head coach Dawn Staley's team traveled to Los Angeles and lost to the currently No. 1 ranked UCLA Bruins.
“I told Dawn [Staley] “I have no idea how they lost at UCLA,” Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said.
On Nov. 24, the Gamecocks lost to Caitlin Clark's team, their first loss since the 2023 Final Four. iowa hawkeyes. In the loss to UCLA, the Bruins shot 47.5 percent, a season high for the Gamecocks' defense, but South Carolina struggled on the offensive end, making 34.5 percent of its shots from the floor. Ta.
“The main thing is to take good shots. As long as we have as many turnovers as we had, I think we can go through the night, but even if we take good shots, we don't take bad shots.” You lose every game you hit,” Staley said. “And for us, we're finally starting to take better shots, we're getting more rhythm shots, and that's paying off, especially in a game like this.”
Against the Longhorns, it's a different story. South Carolina shot 51% from the floor. It wasn't his most efficient game of the season, but it was his fourth in six games against a power conference opponent in which he shot over 50 percent from the floor.
Entering Sunday, Texas was allowing opponents 38.1 percent per game and had the third-highest scoring defense at 55.6 percent.
Playing in front of their home crowd, South Carolina began attacking Texas right out of the gate. The visiting team went ahead 3-2, but the Gamecocks scored four unanswered points. The Longhorns hit a basket for a 7-0 South Carolina lead. Texas got some shots, and South Carolina answered with five points.
South Carolina played unselfishly offensively. No player outscored any other player, with seven players scoring seven or fewer points, and a team-high 11 points.
Timely shots, fast-break baskets (South Carolina led Texas 16-3 on shots in fast-break transition), and most importantly, South Carolina's defense made the difference early, allowing the Longhorns completely removed from the game. The best example is the play of 6-foot-6 Texas forward Kyla Oldaker.
If you just look at the stat sheet, Oldaker's 12 offensive rebounds jump off the page. The former Miami forward doubled the Gamecocks' offensive rebound totals as a team, but it was only a few of those rebounds that led to second-chance points for the Longhorns, demonstrating the strength of South Carolina's defense. The point is how little there is.
Oldaker is averaging 61.4 percent on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor so far this season. Despite allowing more offensive rebounds from a Texas team that had a size advantage in the post, South Carolina won the game because Staley's team never let up on its defensive efforts.
“It's not just what they're doing on the ball, on the wing or in the post,” Schaefer said. “They make plays. They also try to shoot, and you know it's part of the defense's right to compete for shots.”
South Carolina doesn't give up on plays. The Shamcocks are tough, but that doesn't mean physical, it also means playing through each possession on both sides of the ball. Toughness means limiting plays that require toughness, such as second-chance points.
Despite outscoring the Shamcocks' offense 20-6, the Longhorns only had 10 second-chance points. Texas averaged 0.5 points per offensive rebound, while the Gamecocks added an average of 1 point per offensive rebound.
The obvious weakness for Coach Staley's team this season is the lack of true bigs like former South Carolina standouts Aliyah Boston and Camila Cardoso. Add to that the season-ending ACL injury sustained by All-SEC forward Ashlyn Watkins against Mississippi State on Jan. 5, and everyone would expect some hiccups.
Not South Carolina. Staley developed mental toughness during his 17 seasons at Columbia. In preparation for Sunday's noon game against the Longhorns, the coach acknowledged that his team has been much quieter in practice this week. When the moment comes, such as when playing against a ranked team, the Shamcocks players don't need much motivation to improve.
So even if there are roster changes or injuries require new players to step up, South Carolina is always ready. They missed out on the national championship due to their loss about two years ago. Their loss to UCLA could lead to the same outcome in three months at the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
After defeating the No. 5 Longhorns, the toughness was clear from coach Staley's words, knowing that a championship is not something that can be won in January. Texas will be followed by home coach Kim Mulkey, guard Frajay Johnson, LSU Tigers.
“So I like the fact that we’re not living up to our potential,” Staley said. “Well, we're still getting better. We're still getting used to it, but sometimes you get injured, like Ashlynn. [Watkins]And we're still formulating who we are and this league will teach us. ”
