COLUMBIA, S.C. — Zia Cooke scored 18 points, Aliyah Boston had 16 points and 11 rebounds and No. 1 South Carolina bounced back from its first loss of the season with an 80-68 victory over Mississippi State on Sunday.
The Gamecocks will certainly give up the top spot they've held all season after their stunning, 70-69 overtime loss at Missouri this past Thursday night.
South Carolina broke open a tight game in the second quarter and cruised to its fourth straight win over the Bulldogs.
“I think it felt real good. I think we've all had a chip on our shoulder since that loss," Cooke said. “We're definitely hungry.”
Mississippi State was a replacement for scheduled opponent Ole Miss due to virus issues.
THE BIG PICTURE
The Gamecocks looked crisp most of the game. They'll need it going into a gauntlet of SEC contenders, starting Thursday night at No. 19 LSU and first-year coach Kim Mulkey. That's followed by home games against No. 20 Kentucky and No. 23 Texas A&M.
UP NEXT
South Carolina heads to No. 19 LSU on Thursday night.