advertisement

Double-double again for Wilson as No. 4 South Carolina rolls

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Just because she's an All-American doesn't mean A'ja Wilson sometimes doesn't get mad at herself.

Wilson's shaky first half let Wofford hang around way longer than anyone expected and provided the senior with a bad taste after No. 4 South Carolina's 94-60 win over the Terriers on Sunday.

In the first three games, South Carolina (4-0) had only trailed for 1:32. But the Terriers came out shooting hot and led for more than eight of the game's first 15 minutes

"I did not like the way we started the game off," Wilson said. "It ticked me off."

Wilson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds - she's had a double-double every game this season - after shooting only 2-of-8 in a first half where she played just nine minutes with foul trouble. Wilson looked energized coming out of the locker room, scoring South Carolina first five points of the second half and pulling down four rebounds in a little over three minutes.

"Coach gave us a little pep talk at halftime," Wilson said, smiling.

By then, South Carolina had restored order. The Terriers (1-2) led 32-28 on freshman Da'ja Green's 3-pointer midway through the second quarter. But the Gamecocks went on a 17-2 run to end the half as Wofford missed its next nine shots.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said she just had to clear out some complacency in the first half, not hit the panic button.

"I try to put things in perspective. This is our third game in seven days. We're challenged when it comes to being mentally tough," Staley said.

Green led all scorers with 21 points, including making four of her seven 3-pointers.

BIG PICTURE

Wofford: Second-year Terriers coach Jimmy Garrity helped Wofford to four more victories in his first season. With threats from the outside like Green, another leap is possible this season. ... The Terriers are the only Division I women's basketball team in South Carolina without a player from South Carolina.

South Carolina: Eight Gamecocks played at least 10 minutes as coach Dawn Staley gets her team ready for three games in three days over the Thanksgiving weekend ... Alexis Jennings and Tyasha Harris each had 13 points for South Carolina ... The Gamecocks have scored at least 20 points in 13 of 16 quarters so far.

SHOOTING SPANN

The biggest surprise for South Carolina so far has been the hot shooting of Penn State graduate transfer Lindsey Spann.

Staley brought her into to take pressure off of Wilson. But after shooting 29 percent on 3-pointers last season for the Lady Lions, Spann is shooting 65 percent (15-of-23) this season, including making three of her four shots behind the arc Sunday. She is in the top five in the nation for shooting percentage for players with at least 10 made 3s.

Spann, who scored 12 points and had eight assists Sunday, said she is just getting open looks and knocking them down.

"Lindsey is a great get," Staley said. "We're thanking out lucky stars."

POLL WATCH

With No. 3 Baylor losing to No. 8 UCLA, the Gamecocks could move up a spot Monday with the new Associated Press Top 25 is released.

South Carolina has been in the top 10 of the AP poll every week since January 6, 2014.

UP NEXT

Wofford: The Terriers host North Carolina Central in an 11 a.m. special Tuesday.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks head to Estero, Florida, for three games in the Gulf Coast Showcase. Up first is Rutgers on Friday. On the other side of the bracket is No. 5 Notre Dame.

___

More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins at http://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP . See his work at https://apnews.com/search/jeffrey%20collins

South Carolina guard Lindsey Spann (11) dribbles against the Wofford defense during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017 in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina forward A'ja Wilson (22) looks for an open teammate against Wofford's Jamari McDavid during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina guard Tyasha Harris (52) battles for possession against Wofford forward Marissa Bayer (33) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina forward A'ja Wilson (22) drives to the hoop against Jamari McDavid (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina forward Alexis Jennings, foreground, drives to the hoop against Wofford forward Jamari McDavid during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina forward Lele Grissett (24) dribbles against Wofford forward Jamie Grob during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina forward Alexis Jennings (35) attempts to shoot against Wofford forward Jamari McDavid (12) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina guard Lindsey Spann (11) dribbles against the Wofford defense during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
Wofford guard Da'Ja Green (35) dribbles against South Carolina guard Lindsey Spann (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
Wofford guard Cairo Booker drives to the hoop against South Carolina forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017 in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Wofford 94-60. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina guard Doniyah Cliney (4) drives through the paint during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wofford on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley communicates with players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Wofford on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017 in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Wofford 94-60. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.