Markeshia Grant: Gamecocks headed to SEC Tournament semifinals
South Carolina women’s basketball is now 30-0 for the second season in a row and is headed to the SEC Tournament semifinals. The Gamecocks got the 79-68 win against a scrappy Texas A&M team Friday afternoon to advance.
Despite having 24 turnovers—which is uncharacteristic of them—the Gamecocks shot 51.8 percent from the floor, 50 percent from 3, 77 percent from the free-throw line, and had 20 assists on 29 made baskets. Statistically, that’s a very efficiently played game.
For Texas A&M, Aicha Coulibaly led all scorers with a career-high 32 points on 50 percent shooting (8-16) and 13-for-15 from the free-throw line. She did all she could to try and keep it close for the Aggies, while sophomore forward Janiah Barker was in foul trouble most of the game. However, the Gamecocks would not be denied.
South Carolina outrebounded Texas A&M +12 (40-28) and held them to just 38 percent shooting.
Post Dominance
Kamilla Cardoso led all Gamecock post players with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. She asserted her dominance in the 3rd quarter to help the Gamecocks maintain their lead. Ashlyn Watkins added 10 points, Chloe Kitts added 8 points, and Sania Feagin added 6 points.
Bench Production
South Carolina had a combined 35 points off the bench against Texas A&M. It was a combination of post depth and a spark from the Gamecocks’ two freshmen.
The Freshman Spark
“My mindset is just lock in, trust my team, trust the process, and trust my coaches,” said Tessa Johnson. The freshman guard did just that. She locked in and had 13 points off the bench to help spark the Gamecocks offense—along with freshman phenom MiLaysia Fulwiley who added 6 points and 4 assists.
Underrated skill
Cardoso’s most underrated skill is her passing ability. She has an excellent instinct for finding the open shooter out of the double team and is very effective at finding an open shooter off an offensive rebound. This is a great skill to have that will translate at the pro level.
Up Next:
South Carolina vs. Tennessee…again.
The Gamecocks will play the Tennessee Lady Vols for the third time in three weeks. South Carolina won at Tennessee on Feb. 15 by 11 points, 66-55. The Lady Vols disrupted the Gamecocks’ offense in the first half, but South Carolina found a way to get the win in the second half.
Matchup No. 1
Cardoso had just returned from the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament playing with her home country Brazil, to lead the Gamecocks with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ashlyn Watkins added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Raven Johnson led all players with 15 rebounds.
Rickea Jackson added 19 points for the Lady Vols.
Matchup No. 2
South Carolina played the Lady Vols a second time just five days ago and won 76-68.
Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao led the Gamecocks with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Fulwiley, Bree Hall, and Watkins added 13 points apiece.
Rickea Jackson scored 29 points for the Lady Vols.
Keys to winning Saturday’s matchup
- “Meet the moment”
- Defense and Depth
- Take care of the basketball – no unforced turnovers
- Bench production
- Rebounding/boxing out
- Share the basketball
FAMS! – Join us at GamecockCentral
Former South Carolina women’s basketball standout Markeshia Grant is joining GamecockCentral as the site’s Special Women’s Basketball Analyst for the duration of the Gamecocks’ 2024 postseason run.
Grant, who played for Dawn Staley at South Carolina for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons and is still heavily involved in following the program, will share her unique insights and knowledge on the team with GamecockCentral readers as it continues to expand its coverage of women’s basketball.
[Get Complete South Carolina WBB postseason coverage from veteran reporter Chris Wellbaum and analyst Markeshia Grant! Join GC now and get your first month for $1 or use the code FAMS to get 40% off the first year!]
In the time since she played at South Carolina, Grant has remained active in both the local and women’s basketball communities.
She is the Founder and CEO of Savvy Skills, LLC, a resource committed to helping student-athletes transform the way they think about life and sports— through progressive forward-thinking and transformative action.
The Tampa, Fla. native is a personal development Coach, motivational speaker, consultant for nonprofit programs, and National Girl’s Basketball Evaluator.
Grant is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology, and a Master of Education in Educational-Technology.
You can follow Markeshia on Twitter/X @savvyfive.
