Familiarity An Advantage for Gamecocks in SEC Tournament

For some teams, facing an opponent multiple times a year adds a level of difficulty. For the Gamecocks, it's an advantage.

In their semifinals game against South Carolina, the Arkansas Razorbacks cut the lead to single digits for the third time and had momentum on their side.

Dawn Staley called a timeout and Aliyah Boston said her message was simple.

“When there was media timeout, Coach just emphasized she wasn't startled and we shouldn't be either,” Boston said. “We should just continue to play our game. Play the way we know how to play. So we did that.”

For some teams, facing an opponent multiple times a year adds a level of difficulty just due to the familiarity with the constant matchups.

For the Gamecocks, they feel it’s an advantage.

“It doesn’t make anything harder. I feel like it’s good because we know what they can do. I feel like it’s easier, actually,” forward Victaria Saxton said.

Zia Cooke, who is experiencing the SEC Tournament for the first time, she agreed with Saxton and said it allows them to keep the same approach they’ve had all year.

 “I think it was good for us because when it came to the scouting we already knew what to do, who to play and who to guard,” she said. “It was probably good for them too to know the same thing for us, but we knew their players pretty well, so it was an advantage for us.”

Part of that approach is relying on the second unit to come in and give productive minutes, which they have done so far. During Friday’s quarterfinals matchup against Georgia, the reserves were able to give the Gamecocks the energy needed to jumpstart an otherwise out of sync offense.

Saturday, Destanni Henderson came alive to the tune of 21 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc. Staley said after the Georgia win that she likes keeping that unit together because of the chemistry they’ve developed over the course of the season.

Saxton said the desire to see each other succeed has played a large part in said chemistry being so strong.

 “I think it’s just because we’re genuinely happy for each other,” she said. “So everybody’s happy for what another person’s doing. I feel like that keeps ups together as well and everyone plays their role.

They’ll need to stay true to themselves as they face either the much improved Kentucky Wildcats featuring SEC Player of the Year Rhyne Howard, or the Mississippi State team that took them down to the wire at Colonial life earlier this year.

Tip-off for the SEC title game is set for 2 p.m. and will be on ESPN2.