In a tense, heated matchup of top-15 rivals at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, South Carolina women’s basketball hung tough and pulled away late against Missouri for a 64-54 win — but not before some extracurricular activity nearly derailed the game.
The Gamecocks (18-3, 7-2 SEC) and the Tigers (17-4, 5-3 SEC) entered Sunday’s contest already angry after USC head coach Dawn Staley was ejected from the team’s first contest and South Carolina fans accused MU of playing dirty on Jan. 7.
And from the opening tip, it was clear that neither side was interested in backing down, as physical play ended with members of both teams on the floor without fouls being called in the first quarter.