Top-ranked South Carolina again wore down its opponent, dominating the fourth quarter in all phases to win its seventh straight game to open the season. Duke became the latest to fall as the Gamecocks bested the Blue Devils 77-61 in Durham, NC, Saturday, as part of the Jimmy V Classic.
The Blue Devils were standing toe-to-toe through three quarters, tying the game at 55 with 7:43 to play. But South Carolina accelerated into another gear and took control with a 15-2 run that sealed the victory.
USC displayed an efficient offense throughout, shooting 50% from the floor and 60% from the 3-point line. Kamilla Cardoso notched her fifth double-double with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Eight of her points came in the fourth quarter. Chloe Kitts (14 points), Bree Hall (13 points), Te-Hina Paopao (12 points) and Raven Johnson (11 points) joined Cardoso in double figures. Hall and Johnson carried the load from the perimeter, combining to hit 6 of their 8 shots from long distance.
The Gamecocks were also relentless on the boards, outrebounding Duke 45-24, in what has become a hallmark for Dawn Staley’s program. Another hallmark during USC’s run of success has been its defense. South Carolina had outscored its opponents by 12.5 points/game in fourth quarters heading into Saturday’s game. The script played out again as USC outscored Duke 22-9 after clamping down defensively in the final quarter, limiting the Blue Devils to three field goals and three rebounds over the game’s final ten minutes.
The Gamecocks will look to make it eight wins in a row when they play host to Morgan State at 7 p.m., Wednesday.