South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley praised Utah's Alissa Pili, despite the Gamecocks' 78-69 victory over the No. 11 Utes at the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase on Dec. 10. Staley's comments followed a game where Pili dominated with 37 points, showcasing her extraordinary talent against the nation's top-ranked team.

“I’d much rather get the win and have Pili score 37 on us, then her score 37 with the win. Now, that’s a little bit hard to swallow. But, utmost respect for Pili,” Staley said, via Pat Eaton-Robb of the Associated Press. “I mean, Utah, I hope we don’t see them in the tournament and whoever does get to see them, good luck to you.”

The game itself was a nod to South Carolina's strength and depth. Kamilla Cardoso led the scoring for the Gamecocks with 17 points, followed by Te-Hina Paopao with 15. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Chloe Kitts each added 11 points, contributing to South Carolina's undefeated record of 9-0 this season, including victories over four ranked opponents.

Despite the Gamecocks' overall team performance, it was Alissa Pili who stole the spotlight. The 6-foot-2 forward made 15 of her 23 shots, overcoming South Carolina's formidable front-court, including the 6-foot-7 Cardoso. Pili's approach was simple yet effective: “I just went out there and did my thing. Let the game come to me.”

“It’s better when I don’t think about it, because it just comes to me,” she added.

The Gamecocks maintained a lead throughout the game, but Utah, powered by Pili, kept the pressure on. Pili was instrumental in narrowing South Carolina's lead to just two points several times, but the Gamecocks responded with crucial runs to maintain their lead.

Utah faced additional challenges with the absence of junior guard Gianna Kneepkens, who was out for the season due to a foot injury. Despite this setback, Utah coach Lynne Roberts acknowledged the need for adaptation and commended her team's effort against a defensively strong South Carolina team.

“As coaches, we’ve got to figure it out and we’re still figuring it out,” Roberts said. “We haven’t had much time and to play against a team like South Carolina, who is so good defensively, that’s hard.”