South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - Arkansas
South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships
1. Double-double
Aliyah Boston tied the school record for career double-doubles against Vanderbilt, and she can set a new record against Arkansas. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s pretty likely – Boston has dominated Arkansas during her career.
In four regular-season games against Arkansas, Boston has averaged 20.5 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks. That includes setting the freshman record with 25 rebounds in 2020.
In two games in the SEC Tournament, Boston is averaging 15 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals. Her “quietest” game was 13 points and 13 rebounds back in 202. So yeah, she’s put up some huge numbers against the Razorbacks.
“Might as well knock it out. Don’t let it linger,” Dawn Staley said Friday. She later said that if the game was a blowout, she might leave Boston in longer to get to the double-double. “Maybe a minute or two.”
2. Injury update
Sania Feagin practiced on Friday and could play Sunday. Feagin has missed four consecutive games with a lower right leg injury.
Staley made it sound unlikely that Talaysia Cooper would be available against Arkansas. Cooper missed the Vanderbilt game, also with a lower right leg injury.
South Carolina doesn’t play again until next Sunday, so Feagin and Cooper have extra time to rehab before the next game.
Subscribe to Gamecock Central until Aug. 31 for only $29.99
3. Standings watch
It might be a little early to start watching the SEC standings, but it’s fun.
“It really doesn’t start until you lose,” Staley said ahead of the Kentucky game. “I hope it never starts.”
The rest of us, however, can’t help but notice that South Carolina, LSU, and Tennessee are each 7-0, the first time the SEC has ever had three undefeated teams this far into conference play.
The best part is that the three teams play a round-robin over the final month of the season. LSU hosts Tennessee on January 30, South Carolina hosts LSU on February 12, and Tennessee hosts South Carolina on February 23.
If you love chaos, you’re hoping each team goes 1-1 in the round-robin. If chaos isn’t your thing, it’s still time to start scoreboard-watching for fun.
4. We Back Pat
Sunday’s game is South Carolina’s annual “We Back Pat” game honoring the legacy of Pat Summitt. All the teams in the SEC are honoring Summitt this week, with the goal of raising awareness of the Pat Summitt Foundation and the fight against Alzheimer’s.
We Back Pat week began Thursday, and the Gamecock coaching staff wore special shirts against Vanderbilt. The exact plans have not been announced for Sunday, but expect more shirts for coaches and players, among other things.
Become a “FAM” Member and support South Carolina women’s basketball players
5. Scouting the Razorbacks
Arkansas is a little different from the Razorback teams of the past. They still want to play fast and shoot threes, but Arkansas has more size and talent in the frontcourt now so they have slowed things down a little to take advantage.
Senior forward Erynn Barnum is averaging a team-high 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, while freshman forward Saylor Poffenbarge (9.7 points and 7.5 rebounds) is a five-time SEC Freshman of the Week.
Ultimately, it is still guards Mikayla Daniels (13.3 points), Samara Spencer (15.3 points, 4.6 assists), and Chrissy Carr (11.5 points), who make Arkansas so dangerous.
“We’ve been pretty good running people off the three-point line and making them two us rather than three us,” Staley said. “They’ve got guards that can fill it up.”
Arkansas is a much better rebounding team than it was in the past, when it sometimes seemed like rebounding was optional. However, LSU was able to double up Arkansas on the glass in both of their meetings. Not surprisingly LSU won the first game by 24. Arkansas made enough threes (10) in the second game to keep it close.
If you are the Razorbacks, you probably don’t go into this game thinking you can outrebound the Gamecocks. But if you can stay around minus-10 it gives you a chance.
The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (19-0, 7-0) vs Arkansas (17-4, 4-2)
When: 3:00 ET, Sunday, January 22
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: ESPN2
