Gamecocks suffer stunning loss in SEC title game

NASHVILLE, T.N. (WIS) – The Gamecocks fold in the fourth quarter to allow the crown slip absent.  Kentucky shut the championship Sunday on an 11- run to stun prime-rated South Carolina, 64-62, to get its 1st SEC Match title in 40 years.

The Wildcats Dre’una Edwards was presented room at the prime of the important, trailing by a person, and dropped the go-forward triple with 4 seconds to perform.

The Gamecocks did not have a timeout, as Destanni Henderson moved up the flooring and tossed a mid-court shot that skipped the mark.  Carolina closed the recreation missing its ultimate 7 pictures, without scoring a solitary level in the ultimate 5:04 of regulation.

Gamecock fans were definitely not expecting to sing the blues in the Music Town towards Big Blue.

Zia Cooke missed a pair of no cost throws with the Gamecocks up 62-61 with 16 seconds remaining.  The Wildcats grabbed the defensive rebound and moved the ball promptly up the court.  Boston fouled with 11 seconds to pause the motion, with Kentucky calling a timeout to established up that activity-winning shot for Edwards.

Aliyah Boston and Cooke arrived out with a reason to established the tone in the championship recreation.    Boston linked on her very first 3 pictures.    The past was a strong move inside of for the hoop and the damage.    It gave the Gamecocks a 10-7 direct at the 6:56 mark in the 1st quarter.

Cooke’s assurance was on complete display screen in the Music Metropolis as she dropped in her first two a few-point tries.    Then her ability to slash by website traffic to the tin for the bucket lifted Carolina to a 15-9 guide a lot less than five minutes in.

Boston and Cooke merged to rating the Gamecocks’ very first 17 details.

Late in the initially body, Carolina’s incapacity to come across a further scorer damage the offense.    The Gamecocks went on a two-minute scoring drought before Laeticia Amihere came off the bench to spark the squad.    Her layup with a 1:10 on the clock put the Gamecocks back in front, 19-18.

Carolina started the 2nd quarter with Cooke and Boston on the bench.    While the offense waned, the defense maintained.    Kentucky could not figure out a way to assault Carolina with Amihere and Kamilla Cardoso on the ground.    The Wildcats turned it about a few occasions and missed all six shot attempts in the to start with 5 minutes of the 2nd quarter.

Boston and Cooke both of those returned to the floor all-around the 6-minute mark.    And then, soon after, Cooke dropped in her third triple of the game to make it 26-18 with 5:03 remaining, forcing the Wildcats to phone a timeout.

Cooke and Boston have been on their sport on championship Sunday, each scoring 11 initial-half points.

The Gamecock offense was reasonably pedestrian in the 2nd quarter, even with a pair of brilliant endeavours.  South Carolina turned it more than six instances in the next though connecting on just 25% of its field purpose makes an attempt.

Right after the opening 50 percent, the struggles authorized the Wildcats to keep it close, 30-21.  And this was with Kentucky creating just one shot, scoring 3 full factors, in the second quarter.

After being held scoreless in the very first, Mentor Staley required to get star guard Destanni Henderson heading in the second 50 %.  Henderson was remaining alone in the corner on a second opportunity opportunity, and she related from length at the 6:58 mark in the third quarter.  The triple prolonged the Gamecocks’ guide to 11 factors.

Even with Kentucky’s most effective exertion to keep rate, the Gamecocks created separation as Boston drove just about the size of the flooring for the hoop by way of get in touch with.  With 30 seconds to spare, Boston’s bucket gave Carolina a 55-43 gain.

Boston crashed the glass for the putback early in the fourth quarter even though being fouled to accumulate her 24th-straight double-double.  The a few-point engage in boosted the Gamecock lead to 14 details.

In the course of a 3-moreover minute scoring drought, Kentucky produced a 7- run with the Gamecocks struggling.  Dre’una Edwards’ triple capped it off at the 6:16 mark to cut the deficit, 57-50.

Henderson snapped the drought with her 3rd three-pointer made on the day with 6:05 left in the game, which gave the Gamecocks a ten-stage cushion.

One more scoring drought permitted the Wildcats to roar again.  The Gamecocks went just about 5 minutes at this stage with out a manufactured basket.  Kentucky held charging again, and with 1:13 to play, Edwards’ layup created it a just one-issue ball video game.

Edwards scored Kentucky’s remaining seven points to carry them previous the Gamecocks.  She scored a sport-large 27 points.

Boston finished the recreation with 21 points and 11 rebounds.  Cooke scored 15 factors.

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