“It’s a decision”: Gamecocks relying on defense as offense looks for spark in tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. — For most teams in the NCAA Tournament, winning two games while shooting 29.5% and 35% from the field would prove to be somewhat difficult.

Most teams don’t don’t play defense like South Carolina.

Despite lackluster showings on offense in the first two rounds, the Gamecock women cruised to 58 and 16 points victories in the first two rounds to reach the program’s eighth-straight Sweet 16.

While the lack of shot-making concerns head coach Dawn Staley, she’s confident that while her team finds it collective stroke on offense, there is more than enough defense to propel this team forward.

“That’s who you are, I think, when you have an identity,” Staley said. “We created a defensive identity that is to make it really hard.”

South Carolina’s defense remained unaffected by poor offensive showings in the first two games of the tournament. The Gamecocks held their opponents to a combined 54 points. That number shattered the previous record for fewest points allowed in a the first two games of the NCAA Tournament (71).

“For the tournament, we know defense is an important part,” Naismith Defensive Player of the Year finalist Aliyah Boston said. “You need to be able to stop the other team from scoring, so we just take pride in that.”

This defensive dominance didn’t just show up during the month of March. South Carolina led the nation all season long in field goal percentage allowed (33.2%) and blocked shots (255, the next closest team had 198), and was third in points allowed per game (50.2) and defensive rebounds per game (31.2).

Staley and her players continue to assert that communication is the key to this team’s defensive excellence this season, which is fitting considering the starting five have played together for two full seasons now.

“Since we’re older now, we know what it’s all about to play defense,” junior Zia Cooke said. “It’s just all coming together at this point.”

The UNC Tar Heels will try to crack a defense that has shown very few holes this season. UNC has averaged 74 points per game in its last four outings, and led the ACC this season in field goal percentage allowed (34.7%).

South Carolina and North Carolina will meet Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum for a spot in the Elite Eight Sunday night. The game will be televised on ESPN.