#Gamecocks fend off Georgia 70-56, make history with 43rd straight SEC win (AUDIO)

Colonial Life Arena: The Gamecocks entered Sunday’s game against Georgia sitting atop the national poll and riding a 24-game winning streak. With a win, USC would also set a new mark for consecutive SEC victories. All of this was on the line in front of a raucous crowd that arrived early to serve as the backdrop for the telecast of ESPN GameDay. For a time, it all looked to be in jeopardy as upset-minded Georgia led by as many nine before South Carolina clamped down defensively and rallied for a 70-56 victory.

USC is accustomed to dominating in the post thanks to the combination of Kamilla Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins, but Watkins found herself in early foul trouble and the Gamecocks couldn’t find an answer against Georgia’s Javyn Nicholson. Nicholson scored 18 of her game-high 27 points in the first half to help UGA take a 35-28 lead into the locker room. Offensively, South Carolina looked out of sorts against Georgia’s zone with 17 of their 25 shots coming from beyond the arc.

South Carolina took flight in the third quarter, however, attacking from all angles to erase Georgia’s advantage and recapture the momentum. The Gamecocks opened the second half with superior ball movement, clearly intent on creating lanes to feed Chloe Kitts and Cardoso in the post. Kitts struck first and sparked a third-quarter rally, scoring eight of her 12 points in the period. Cardoso grabbed 11 rebounds in the second half and frequently freed up her teammates for clean looks. Cardoso finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Te-Hina Paopao balanced USC’s post play with deadeye perimeter shooting, hitting 5 of 11 from the 3-point line for 15 points.

USC made good on their 43rd straight conference win, setting a new SEC mark once held by Tennessee.

The Gamecocks (25-0, 12-0) can wrap up the SEC regular season crown and the no. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a win against Alabama, Thursday. Tipoff from the Colonial Life Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Final Stats

Dawn Staley postgame press conference