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No. 1 South Carolina overwhelms Vanderbilt in 55-point win. What we learned

No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball stole the show in its first game since Jan. 16, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores 85-30 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. on Monday night.

With the win, the Gamecocks (18-1, 6-1 SEC) furthered their six-game win streak in conference play. Vanderbilt (10-10, 1-5) has now lost five straight games in SEC action.

South Carolina has won every conference contest since its opening loss to Missouri on Dec. 30 and continues in SEC play Thursday at Colonial Life Arena against Ole Miss. The Gamecocks’ annual matchup with UConn had been on the schedule for Thursday, but that game was canceled last night to fit in a previously postponed game against Ole Miss.

South Carolina starting guard Zia Cooke did not play against Vanderbilt as she continues to nurse a lower left leg injury. Cooke hopped off the court in the Gamecocks’ last game at Arkansas on Jan. 16, and head coach Dawn Staley saying after the game Cooke turned her ankle.

LeLe Grissett earned the start in Cooke’s place and had a productive night, finishing with a team-leading 14 points in 23 minutes on the floor.

Here’s what we learned about the Gamecocks.

South Carolina outpaces Vanderbilt, dominates in return to play

Entering Colonial Life Arena on a skid in conference play, Vanderbilt had no answer for South Carolina’s size and physicality Monday. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, remained dominant after an eight-day break in game action.

The Commodores shot 20.4% (11 of 54) from the field and were unable to contain South Carolina, which shot 58.2% (32 of 55). The Gamecocks performed well from 3-point range, draining 8 of its 18 attempts from behind the arc.

South Carolina also continued its dominance on the glass, out-rebounding the Commodores 48-19 and scoring 14 second-chance points.

The Gamecocks had focused on limiting turnovers following the Arkansas game, when South Carolina turned the ball over 19 times in Fayetteville. Their ball security efforts showed some improvement against Vanderbilt, turning the ball over 11 times on Monday.

LeLe Grissett sparks Gamecocks to lead

South Carolina came out sharp against Vanderbilt, with the Gamecocks draining five of their first seven shots in the game’s first 4:31 on its way to an 11-3 lead over the Commodores midway through the opening quarter.

Grissett played a prominent role in the early surge, scoring seven of the Gamecocks’ first 11 points. She finished the first half tied for a team-leading nine points and four rebounds, all on the offensive end.

South Carolina finished the first quarter up 19-8 on Vanderbilt, shooting 46.7% from the field against the Commodores’ 25% in the first period.

Shooting improved for South Carolina and regressed for Vanderbilt by the end of the first half. The Gamecocks made 15 of their 26 attempts, including four of their nine attempts from behind the arc, while Vanderbilt finished the first half at 6 of 27.

The Gamecocks pulled further ahead in the second quarter, outscoring Vanderbilt 23-7 before halftime to take a 27-point lead into the locker room. Grissett and Kamilla Cardoso each scored nine points in the first half, with Aliyah Boston and Laeticia Amihere adding six points each in the first half.

Grissett finished as the night’s leading scorer with 14 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

Gamecocks’ bench comes up big against the Commodores

South Carolina didn’t need to rely on its starters against Vanderbilt, building upon and maintaining a lead over Vanderbilt through its bench players.

The Gamecocks’ bench accounted for 20 of their 42 first-half points and 42 of its 85 total points. Six reserves contributed to South Carolina’s scoring effort against Vanderbilt.

South Carolina’s bench entered the game averaging 14.3 points in SEC play, quickly passing that mark Monday against Vanderbilt.

Boston, who entered the game on an 11-game double-double streak, didn’t score until midway through the second quarter. Despite her slower-than-usual start, Boston still finished with a double-double, with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Monday night was Boston’s 12th consecutive double-double of the 2021-22 season.

Next South Carolina women’s basketball game

Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (18-1, 6-1 SEC) vs. No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels (17-2, 5-1 SEC)

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.

Watch: ESPN