Dawn Staley on South Carolina’s win over UNC: ‘We needed a performance like this’
The South Carolina Gamecocks left very little doubt in the minds of fans within the region and across the country about who is the top Carolina team in women’s basketball after they soundly defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels in round two of the Women’s March Madness Tournament. Dawn Staley‘s Gamecocks obliterated the Tar Heels, more than doubling their score in the process, 88-41.
After the game, the South Carolina women’s basketball head coach addressed whether or not that was the best first half of basketball her team played and whether there were any moments in the year that were comparable to it.
“I don’t know. We haven’t played like that in a super long time,” said Staley. “We actually were talking about that in the coaches’ locker room, like, we haven’t played well all together. Every single of our players made an impact coming into the game.”
The Tar Heel did attempt to make it competitive, at least in the third quarter of the contest, outscoring South Carolina 15-14. But by then, the damage was done.
“And we needed a performance like this. And hopefully this playing this good of basketball can be contagious throughout the rest of the way. I thought we did a great job of just being aggressive on both sides of the basketball, just locking in to make sure that this wouldn’t be our last game.”
South Carolina dominates UNC early and often
From the opening tip, South Carolina set the tempo of the game. In the first quarter, the Gamecocks blitzed the Tar Heels, both offensively and defensively, taking a 28-8 lead end to the second quarter. In the second period, before the half, South Carolina let up a little defensively, allowing 11 points, but proceeded to continue the offensive domination, scoring another 28 points. South Carolina would take a commanding 56-19 point lead into halftime, and there was essentially nothing North Carolina could do to climb out of that insurmountable hole.
Whether or not it was the best half of basketball Staley’s Gamecocks have put together this season is up for debate. But what is not is the bragging rights between the two programs for another season. With this dominating victory over North Carolina, there is very little that Tar Heel fans can say to the rivals in the South when it comes to women’s college basketball.
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