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How Tennessee beat Notre Dame, Texas A&M beat Duke & more

By Bria Felicien

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 30: Texas A&M Aggies guard Shambria Washington (4) dribbles the ball in game action during the Women's NCAA Division I Championship - Third Round game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas A&M Aggies on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 30: Texas A&M Aggies guard Shambria Washington (4) dribbles the ball in game action during the Women's NCAA Division I Championship - Third Round game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas A&M Aggies on March 30, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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GREENVILLE, SC – MARCH 08: Tyasha Harris (52) guard of South Carolina during the SEC Women’s basketball tournament between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the South Carolina Gamecocks on March 8, 2019, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENVILLE, SC – MARCH 08: Tyasha Harris (52) guard of South Carolina during the SEC Women’s basketball tournament between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the South Carolina Gamecocks on March 8, 2019, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

South Carolina’s senior leadership stands out

What South Carolina has in Ty Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan is to match across the young SEC: big-game experience. The two seniors are starting alongside three talented freshman, and we’ve already talked about the way Boston got South Carolina started, but the seniors closed out the road win at Maryland.

Herbert Harrigan scored the second basket of the fourth quarter (the team had been staying in it with FTs) and put the team up by 10, just as Maryland cut the lead to eight. On the next play, Herbert Harrigan grabbed a rebound from a Maryland missed shot, on the other end Brea Beal dished to Harris in the corner, who scored and put the team up by 13.

Throughout the game, Harris slowed the game down and patiently running plays. And given the way the seniors closed out the game, this story from The Post & Courier was interesting look at  Herbert Harrigan’s decision to return to the Gamecocks and how head coach Dawn Staley helping Herbert Harrigan grow as a leader.

Boston finished the game with 14 points (6-for-10), 7 rebounds and 5 blocks, Harris had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Zia Cooke added 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Concerns?

There was an absolutely brutal stretch where the Gamecocks missed 12 of 14 shots that was so hard to watch (and likely worse to play through), but their defending kept them in the game. They found their way to the free throw line before Hebert Harrigan and Harris’ big points. But from Boston, the anchor of the defense, protector the paint and rim, to the guards on the perimeter, the defense helped them against a seemingly rusty Maryland team, who were held to nine points in the second quarter. But a stretch that long without scoring is not going to work during their next big test on Nov. 30 vs. Baylor at the Paradise Jam. Boston battling Baylor’s bigs in the paint should be interesting to watch, though. Hopefully that game will be televised.

The Gamecocks play next at Dayton on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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