Head coach Johnnie Harris and her Auburn Tigers faced their biggest test of the season: the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks. After a hopeful first half for the Tigers, the Gamecocks showed why they are the nation’s leader with a commanding 76-54 win.
“I was really proud of how we came out,” Harris said. “I thought we came out and set the tone – which we wanted to do. In that first half, I thought we got what we wanted, and that was really important. In the second half, they were really good. They hit shots that they didn’t hit in the first half, and you know, that was the separation.”
The Tigers’ defense shined in front of 4,814 attendees in Neville Arena on Thursday night – the fourth-largest crowd in Auburn women’s basketball history.
Auburn showcased its defensive talent, keeping one of the nation’s leading offenses to 27 points in the first half – the second-lowest score South Carolina has had at half this season. Collectively, the Tigers managed 35 rebounds, nine blocks and five steals.
“We guarded our tails off,” Harris said. “We were tough, and we just battled. That’s what I wanted to see. But I am just really proud of my team for not quitting, and we were just happy with all the good things that we did tonight.”
The Gamecocks were unrecognizable in the first half, going 10-for-35 (29%) from the field and 0-for-8 beyond the arc, which was uncharacteristic for the nation’s leader from 3-point range and in shooting percentage.
“They challenged every pass, and they’re able to put pressure on the ball,” said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. “You can’t get to any of your options, so you gotta fight aggression with aggression at times. And that’s really not our style of play from an offensive standpoint, so the first half was that.”
However, after halftime, South Carolina looked like itself again, adding 49 points to its initial 27. The Gamecocks controlled the court as soon as the second half began with a 3-point jumper from Raven Johnson. The South Carolina offense finished the match at 56% for field goals and 68% for free throws, accompanied by 22 rebounds, five blocks and five steals.
“I think in the second half, we found ways to get some easy buckets,” Staley said. “We got on the transition, and that’s what probably opened the game up a little bit for us.”
The Tigers’ second half didn’t go as smoothly as the first half. Auburn was held to 32% from the field in the game compared to South Carolina’s 42%.
Honesty Scott-Grayson had a phenomenal night on the court, proving to be a massive thorn in the Gamecocks’ side. The veteran placed Auburn’s offense on her shoulders and led the charge against South Carolina’s lethal defense.
“She’s a bucket,” Staley said. “I knew she was cooking us. I wasn’t really looking at her stats throughout the game, but then, at the end of the game, she had 31 on us. I’m not surprised. She’s a veteran player. She’s got some trickery out there that forces you to guard her a certain way, and then she’ll deviate.”
Scott-Grayson scored a career-high 31 points, scoring over half of the Tigers’ points. Scott-Grayson went 11-for-23 (48%) from the field, 8-for-10 (80%) at the free-throw line and 1-for-3 (33%) beyond the arc.
“I’ve always known Honesty was amazing, and seeing this doesn’t surprise me,” Harris said. “But I know she has more in her, so I’m going to continue to push her. She says she wants it, so it’s my job to pull that out of her and put her in situations where she can be great.”
Fouls were a huge factor in Auburn’s loss. The Tigers committed 17 personal fouls – allowing the Gamecocks to score 16 points. Harris identified that discipline was a key difference in South Carolina and Auburn’s performance.
“We have to be disciplined,” Harris said. “They were very disciplined, even when they were missing their shots or coming out of the locker room and executing their game plan. That’s something we can learn from. That’s something that I’m working on with this team. We have gotten better, but we have work to do there.”
Next, the Tigers head on the road to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to face the Razorbacks. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. CST.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
