South Carolina is wanting like a nationwide title favourite, and Daybreak Staley says the staff hasn’t even ‘reached their potential’ but

Have a look at the next stat comparability after which resolve which staff you assume got here away with the victory:

In case you weren’t studying an article with this type of introduction, you’d seemingly select Workforce A. That stage of offensive rebounds is prone to flip into second probability factors, turnovers, and steals, flip into further possessions and people further possession flip into further pictures.

Workforce B is the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks. On Sunday, they confronted Workforce A, or the No. 5 Texas Longhorns, and didn’t solely win, however gained convincingly in a 67-50 rout of the brand new SEC squad.

The profitable efficiency was a far cry from the third week of the season, when head coach Daybreak Staley’s staff traveled to Los Angeles and fell to the now No. 1 ranked UCLA Bruins.

“I instructed Daybreak [Staley] ‘I don’t know how they acquired beat at UCLA,’” mentioned Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer.

On Nov. 24, the Gamecocks suffered their first loss for the reason that 2023 Ultimate 4, once they fell to the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes. Within the loss to UCLA, the Bruins shot 47.5 %, a season excessive for the Gamecocks protection, and on the offensive facet of the courtroom, South Carolina struggled mightily, hitting 34.5 % of their pictures from the ground.

“It’s all about taking good pictures. I feel you’ll be able to have an evening, so far as having as many turnovers as we had, with taking good pictures, you lose video games taking dangerous pictures,” mentioned Staley. “And for us, we had been lastly attending to that time the place we’re taking higher pictures, and we’re taking rhythm pictures, and it’s paying off for particularly within the recreation like this.”

In opposition to the Longhorns, it was a special story. South Carolina shot 51 % from the ground. Not their most effective recreation of the season, however their fourth recreation capturing at the very least 50 % from the ground in six matchups towards energy convention opponents.

Coming into Sunday, Texas allowed 38.1 % from opponents per recreation and the third finest scoring protection, permitting 55.6 %.

Taking part in in entrance of a house crowd, South Carolina ran out of the gate and began hitting Texas shortly. The guests went forward 3-2, however then the Gamecocks scored 4 unanswered factors. The Longhorns hit a basket after which it is a 7-0 South Carolina run. Texas hit one other shot and it was a five-point South Carolina run in response.

South Carolina performed unselfishly offensively. There wasn’t one participant outscoring one other by bunches, with seven gamers scoring inside seven and the staff excessive 11 factors.

Well timed pictures, quick break baskets (South Carolina led Texas 16-3 in pictures throughout quick break transitions) and most significantly, the South Carolina protection made the distinction early and threw the Longhorns utterly off their recreation. The perfect instance is thru the play of 6-foot-6 Texas ahead Kyla Oldacre.

Look solely at a stat sheet and Oldacre’s 12 offensive rebounds jumps off the web page. The previous Miami ahead doubled the Gamecocks’ offensive rebound whole as a staff, however what reveals the power of the South Carolina protection is how few of these rebounds become second probability factors for the Longhorns.

Oldacre shot 5-of-11 from the ground and averages 61.4 % to this point this season. Regardless of permitting extra offensive rebounds from a Texas facet that had a measurement benefit within the submit, South Carolina wins video games as a result of the defensive effort of the Staley-led facet by no means quits.

“It’s not simply what they’re doing on the ball or on the wing or what within the submit,” mentioned Schaefer. “They play the play out. They’re difficult even to the shot and that you recognize a part of protection proper is contesting pictures.”

South Carolina would not surrender on performs. The Gamecocks are powerful, however that doesn’t imply physicality, it additionally means enjoying via every possession on either side of the ball. Toughness is about limiting performs that require toughness, like second probability factors.

Regardless of out rebounding the Gamecocks offensively 20-6, it solely led to 10 second probability factors for the Longhorns. Texas averaged a half of a degree on every offensive rebounds, whereas every offensive rebound averaged one further level for the Gamecocks.

This season, the plain weak point of Staley’s facet is the shortage of a real massive, like former South Carolina standouts Aaliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso. Then add All-SEC ahead Ashlyn Watkins’ season-ending ACL damage towards Mississippi State on Jan 5, and anybody would anticipate hiccups.

Not South Carolina. Staley’s fostered a psychological toughness over her 17 seasons in Columbia. Main into the Sunday matinee towards the Longhorns, the coach admitted that her facet was a lot quieter in follow this week. When the second arises, like dealing with a ranked staff, the Gamecocks gamers don’t want a lot motivation to thrive.

So, when a roster adjustments or new gamers should step up as a result of damage, South Carolina is at all times prepared. The defeat almost two years in the past led to a nationwide championship. Their loss to UCLA might culminate in the identical factor, three months from now on the Ultimate 4 in Tampa, Florida.

After defeating the No. 5 Longhorns, that toughness was clear within the phrases of coach Staley, a coach who is aware of that championships aren’t gained in January. Following Texas are 4 extra ranked opponents, together with a battle at house towards head coach Kim Mulkey, guard Fla’Jae Johnson and the LSU Tigers.

“I imply, I like the truth that we haven’t reached our potential,” mentioned Staley. “Like, we’re nonetheless getting higher. We’re nonetheless getting used to it, after which we have now an damage like Ashlyn [Watkins], after which we had been nonetheless formulating who we’re, and this league will inform us.”