Gamecocks vs. Rebels in SEC Semifinal Saturday

SEC Event Take
South Carolina is 29-25 all-time within the SEC Event since becoming a member of the league for the 1991-92 season. Head coach Daybreak Staley is 26-8 within the occasion with six championships, all coming within the final eight years. 

The Gamecocks have reached the match championship recreation seven occasions. With titles in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, South Carolina is the one program in league historical past to win 4 consecutive SEC Event title, and the Gamecocks added two extra titles in 2020 and 2021.

Aliyah Boston leads the present crew in SEC Event manufacturing at 14.8 factors and 11.5 rebounds per recreation. She was a part of the occasion’s All-Event Crew twice (2021, 2022) and was named MVP in 2022.

It’s Time to BRea-l
Usually talked about by head coach Daybreak Staley as irreplaceable, senior guard Brea Beal is lastly catching a number of the highlight often reserved for her stat-performing teammates, together with being a semifinalist for Naismith Defensive Participant of the 12 months and incomes a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Crew.

Beal is second on the crew in assists (2.6), third in rebounds (4.2) and third in blocks (1.1,  fifteenth within the SEC). Offensively, her well timed taking pictures has been vital to a number of victories and features a team- and career-high 38.5 p.c accuracy from 3-point vary (30-of-78), together with 16-of-43 (.372) in SEC motion.

Amongst energetic SEC gamers, Beal ranks fifth in profession rebounds at 653, second amongst guards. She is eighth in blocked pictures (104), the very best rating guard on the record.

The highly effective guard’s trademark protection has not diminished this season. Based on Synergy, Beal’s matchup has scored simply 4.3 factors per recreation on 22.7 p.c taking pictures this season. She has yielded double-digit factors simply twice this season (UCLA, Nov. 29; Miss. State, Jan. 8) and has posted eight shutout video games, together with three in SEC motion. Per Her Hoop Stats, Beal is among the many prime 25 within the nation in participant defensive ranking.

LA Stay
Senior Laeticia Amihere has the scale, power, agility and basketball IQ to play each place on the ground, probably the most versatile participant she has ever coached, in accordance with Daybreak Staley. With a treasure trove of worldwide expertise – together with  enjoying within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – the 6-foot-4 Canadian is a dynamic participant with unwaivering confidence.

Averaging 6.9 factors per recreation (fourth on the crew), Amihere’s 47.3 p.c taking pictures is a profession excessive. She is has blocked 1.0 pictures per recreation whereas additionally handing out 1.2 assists per recreation. Amihere has six double-figure scoring video games this season off the bench, together with 10 at #17/18 Maryland (Nov. 11) and 11 at Kentucky (Jan. 12) with 9 of these factors coming within the decisive fourth quarter.