COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Daybreak Staley’s happy South Carolina had made its once-lopsided sequence with UConn extra aggressive the previous few years.

She hopes her top-ranked staff can accomplish one other milestone when the groups meet for a top-five showdown on Sunday.

“It nonetheless stands true that we haven’t received up there,” Staley stated.

Aliyah Boston had 14 factors and 14 rebounds as South Carolina ready for the top-five showdown with an 87-69 victory over Kentucky on Thursday night time.

The Gamecocks (10-0 Southeastern Convention) improved to 22-0 and received their twenty eighth straight, a run that included a 64-49 victory over the Huskies in Minneapolis final April to win the nationwide championship.

Staley had misplaced her first seven video games as South Carolina coach towards UConn. The Gamecocks have received three of the previous 4 matchups since.

“This specific class dedicated to one another,” Staley stated. “When you have got that sort of dedication and also you simply wish to win, you end up successful some video games that you simply haven’t received earlier than.”

In opposition to Kentucky, reigning AP participant of the 12 months Boston prolonged her college mark along with her seventy fifth profession double-double and moved inside 11 of the SEC document of 86 video games with a double-double held by LSU nice Sylvia Fowles.

Issues weren’t excellent for South Carolina, which fell behind early, then had its 15-point halftime lead minimize to 54-48 halfway by the third quarter.

Nonetheless, its dominant inside recreation — South Carolina outscored the Wildcats 62-14 within the paint — was greater than sufficient to close down Kentucky (10-12, 2-8), the final staff to defeat the defending nationwide champions on the SEC Match final March.

The Wildcats went on high 16-15 after a pair of baskets by Adebola Adeyeye.

That’s when South Carolina, fueled by its bench, took management with a 17-2 run. Ashlyn Watkins had three inside pictures and Kamilla Cardoso scored 4 factors in the course of the surge.

The Wildcats used a 13-4 burst to start out the third quarter to offer South Carolina just a few uncomfortable moments. However the Gamecocks received going as soon as extra with an 11-0 run to increase their margin.

Cardoso, the 6-foot-7 reserve, had 14 factors and 5 of South Carolina’s 14 blocks. Defensive ace Brea Beal had 10 together with each of the Gamecocks’ 3-pointers.

Beal thought the staff held collectively effectively to blunt Kentucky’s runs and regain management. “I believe it’s our psychological facet of the sport and us believing in one another,” she stated.

Robyn Benton had 24 factors to steer Kentucky, which has misplaced three of its previous 4 video games.

Wildcats coach Kyra Elzy stated South Carolina is tough to match up with due to its deep bench. “They’ve depth after depth after depth,” she stated. “They hold coming.”

BIG PICTURE

Kentucky: The Wildcats are the not the identical staff that featured two-time SEC participant of the 12 months Rhyne Howard the previous few seasons. They’ve 10 newcomers — and 6 freshmen — who’re nonetheless studying find out how to play towards the SEC’s high groups like South Carolina.

South Carolina: Forgive the Gamecocks if their focus wasn’t totally on this one at first with a giant week forward. In an eight-game span, South Carolina will face No. 5 UConn and No. 3 LSU, a pair of high-profile video games may expose any flaw — or present how highly effective the Gamecocks are in chasing a second straight NCAA crown.

UCONN KARMA

South Carolina has opened 22-0 twice below coach Daybreak Staley, in 2014-15 and the next 12 months. Each runs ended towards UConn. Subsequent up for Gamecocks are the Huskies, though South Carolina has received three of the previous 4 video games over UConn together with final April’s 64-49 victory to win the NCAA Match title.

UP NEXT

Kentucky returns residence to face Alabama on Feb. 9.

South Carolina heads to No. 5 UConn on Sunday.

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AP girls’s school basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll