In a another game that further cements their dominance, the South Carolina women's basketball team, led by Dawn Staley, have inked their names into the SEC history books. The Gamecocks surpassed a record previously held by Tennessee and the legendary Pat Summitt, securing their 43rd consecutive SEC regular-season win with a huge rally past Georgia, 70-56, on Sunday.
“I'm just proud of the former players and the current players to put together some of the most historical stretches in this league,” Staley said, per the Associated Press. “It says something to be able to do that because this is a hard league.”
Central to this most recent win was Kamilla Cardoso. She tallied 16 points and 16 rebounds and was pivotal in the Gamecocks' second-half resurgence. The game, however, was not necessarily a shoo-in for South Carolina. Georgia, led by Javyn Nicholson, took the lead early in the third quarter, signaling a potential upset.
Nicholson's scored a career-high 27 points, forcing tactical adjustments made by Staley and the Gamecocks. Led by Cardoso, Te-Hina Paopao, Chloe Kitts and the standout freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina remained the sole undefeated Division I team.
Cardoso's pivotal three points, followed by Kitts scoring six out of eight, brought them within one point at 40-39. Fulwiley then shined, scoring crucial points that put South Carolina ahead permanently, highlighted by her basket, two free throws and a layup for Ashlyn Watkins.
“I feel like we just didn't get in the flow defensively,” Kitts said, who scored 10 of her 12 points in the final two quarters. “At the end of the day, we stopped [Nicholson] in the second half and we pulled through.”
South Carolina rallies past Georgia in second half
Georgia managed to keep the gap to single digits until the last quarter, but Paopao, an Oregon transfer, extended the lead to 60-48 with consecutive three-pointers.
The Bulldogs, with a record of 11-14 and 2-10 in their conference, suffered their 18th consecutive defeat against the Gamecocks.
Nicholson broke her personal record with 27 points, surpassing her 24-point game against Ball State, and grabbed 12 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season.
Paopao contributed 15 points, all from three-pointers, aiding South Carolina in securing their 55th consecutive home victory. The game also marked the season's fourth sellout at the 18,000-seat Colonial Life Arena.
Cardoso, in her senior year, clinched her 12th double-double of the season and the 28th in her career.
Initially, Nicholson and the Bulldogs took the lead with a 17-2 run from the first to the second quarter, establishing a 23-17 advantage. They continued to lead 37-28 after Nicholson's impressive plays, but they couldn't maintain control of the game.
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