GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina quest to regain a post-season title is off to a winning start with a 89-56 win over Georgia in the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Friday.
USC's Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had 16 points and Tyasha Harris added 15 to lead the way for USC (30-1, 16-0 SEC), which now moves on to the semifinals.
The game started out close, with both teams trading shots for much of the first quarter and a hot shooting performance by the Bulldogs keeping them in it. The Gamecocks couldn't find the long-rang shot, going 0-4 on threes in the early going. Still, USC would close on a run to go up by 8 at the end of the first frame.
USC's shooting would get better, mainly from shots within the paint, in the second quarter. A 13-5 run in the final minutes gave USC a 45-31 lead at the half.
The Gamecocks defense harassed Georgia into increasingly poor shots as the game went on, and USC would take advantage, extending their lead in the 3rd quarter to 22 points. They'd increase that margin in the fourth quarter.
Bench play helped USC too, as Lele Grissett and Victaria Saxton chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively.
USC next plays Saturday at 5 p.m. in the semifinals. Their opponent will be Arkansas after they topped Texas A&M 67-66.
The Gamecocks got a bye in the first round of the tournament by virtue of being the top seed and the SEC regular-season champion. USC is seeking their fifth-SEC Tournament title and first since 2018. They reeled off four straight titles from 2015 to 2018 before Mississippi State won last year.
