South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - Tennessee

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1. Glass half empty
South Carolina committed a season-high 24 turnovers in the quarterfinals against Texas A&M. There were all kinds: bad dribbles, bad passes, bad bounces, dead ball, live ball, forced, and unforced.

South Carolina committed 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone, a number that almost defies belief. 

2. Glass half full
In almost every area other than turnovers the Gamecocks excelled. They shot  51.8%, 50% from three, 77.3% from the line, and had 20 assists on 29 baskets. They were plus-12 rebounding and held the Aggies to 36.5% shooting.

So if they had cleaned up the turnovers they probably would have won by 20. 

South Carolina’s previous season-high for turnovers was 23 against Utah. In the next game, against Presbyterian, South Carolina only turned it over eight times. Could that be a good omen?

3. Lay with the Bounce-back
Against Texas A&M, MiLaysia Fulwiley looked like a freshman playing her first SEC Tournament game. She had just six points on 1-6 shooting and missed a couple of layups.

On the plus side, she played strong defense and had four assists and three rebounds. She also appeared to recognize that she was playing too fast and understood she needed to calm down.

It would not be surprising at all if FUlwiley has worked out the nerves and has a big game on Saturday. 

4. Sendoff
After a successful sendoff on Friday that included Champ Staley wearing a stylish raincoat, the Gamecocks are inviting FAMs back on Saturday. 

FAMs are invited to a team sendoff at the team hotel. FAMs can gather on the turf outside of the Grand Bohemian Lodge at 2:25 pm. The Grand Bohemian Lodge is located at 44 East Camperdown Way in downtown Greenville. 

5. Scouting the Lady Vols
It’s round three between the Gamecocks and Lady Vols. Tennessee led at halftime at home before South Carolina pulled away in the second half for a 66-55 win. In Columbia, Tennessee gave South Carolina all it could handle in a 76-68 loss, the first time all season the Gamecocks didn’t win by double-digits at home.

That loss helped knock Tennessee down to the fight seed, which meant the Lady Vols had to play on Thursday. They won their first two games easily so their stars didn’t have to log heavy minutes, but it is still their third game in three days.

Read how the Lady Vols are approaching the game.

The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (30-0) vs #5 Tennessee (19-11)
When: 4:30 ET, Saturday, March 9
Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC
Watch: ESPNU

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