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WBB: Gamecocks beat Mississippi State 57-51 in top ten battle

South Carolina held off No. 10 Mississippi State 57-51 in Starkville, Miss., to stay undefeated and move to 19-0 on the season. Tiffany Mitchell led all scorers with 21 points.

For three quarters the game was a defensive battle. The Gamecocks led 34-30 going in to the fourth as both teams were shooting under 30 percent. The SEC's leading scorer, MSU's Victoria Vivians, was struggling through a 3-17 shooting game, and Mitchell was not much better at 4-13. But it was all just a prelude to the final stanza, when Mitchell and Vivians led their teams in a back and forth battle that saw them nearly double the score.

Vivians opened the fourth quarter with a three to draw the Bulldogs within one. USC's Doniyah Cliney made a free throw, and then Ketara Chapel made a pair of free throws to tie the game. Alaina Coates, who struggled to find shots most of the game, made back-to-back layups and Tina Roy hit a three to put South Carolina up seven. Vivians came up big again and nailed a long three and converted a three-point play to draw the Bulldogs within a point once again.

Mississippi State had two chances to take the lead, but couldn't score. Then, with less than five minutes to play, Mitchell took over. She drew a foul and made both free throws. Then after Vivians hit an almost impossible shot, Mitchell drove to the basket, drew another foul, and made the layup. As the ball rolled in the basket, Mitchell pumped her fist and let out a scream, a rare display of emotion from a usually stoic player. She made the free throw, then got inside for another layup on the next possession.

Fellow senior Khadijah Sessions added a short jumper, but Mississippi State did not concede. Chapel made two more free throws, and Dominique Dillingham added a jumper and two free throws to make it 51-49 with less than a minute to play.

Sessions made another short jumper when her defender fell down, but she gave the points back when she fouled Morgan William. William made both free throws to stay within two points, but with 28 seconds left, the Bulldogs had to foul. They fouled Asia Dozier, who calmly sank both shots. William drove to the rim, but Roy made a veteran play defensively and backed off at the last moment. William was expecting contact and missed the easy layup. Mitchell wound up with the ball and was fouled, making both free throws again to complete the scoring.

Although South Carolina sealed the win with free throws, it once again struggled from the line. South Carolina made 10-13 in the final quarter, but was just 15-23 for the game. The missed free throws earlier helped Mississippi State hang around earlier as South Carolina came up with empty possessions.

Mitchell led all scorers with 21, and the only other Gamecocks in double figure scoring were Sessions and Roy, all seniors. Roy had 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three. She banked in a three at the halftime buzzer to give the Gamecocks a 22-20 lead at the break. She also made a floater in the lane, just her second two-point field goal this season. Sessions had 10 points and played tough defense on Vivians.

South Carolina's normally potent front court of A'ja Wilson and Alaina Coates struggled offensively. Both scored six points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but Wilson went just 3-11 shooting, and Coates struggled to find opportunities, attempting only three shots.

Vivians scored 19 points on 7-25 shooting. Chapel and William joined her in double figures with 10 points each.

Notes:

South Carolina held a 40-31 rebounding edge. ... South Carolina had 10 first quarter turnovers and 14 in the first half. It finished with 21 turnovers leading to 13 Mississippi State points. ... Despite limited contribution from its bigs, South Carolina had a 28-10 advantage in points in the paint. ... The Bulldogs were 16-17 from the free throw line, compared to the Gamecocks' 15-23 shooting. ... Attendance was 10,626. It was the largest home crowd in Mississippi State women's basketball history. ... South Carolina returns to action Thursday night against Ole Miss.


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