COLUMBIA — They may be ranked No. 3 in America and have a third consecutive SEC championship secured, but the South Carolina women’s basketball team is not immune to the wear and tear of a long regular season.
That was evident their last time out, in a victory over Georgia which clinched the SEC title outright. With nine healthy players and one of those sitting due to a coach’s decision, USC saw a 16-point lead whittled down to five in the final minutes. The Gamecocks again battled turnovers, missed free throws and periods of stagnancy on offense, due to what head coach Dawn Staley called mental fatigue.