South Carolina secured the SEC regular-season championship in convincing fashion on Sunday, defeating Ole Miss 85-48 at Colonial Life Arena. Here is what stood out from the victory.
South Carolina Did What It Was Supposed To
Ole Miss came into the game facing a near-impossible set of circumstances — playing their fourth contest in eight days and without injured starter Sira Thienou — but that did not mean the Rebels were going to simply surrender. South Carolina understood that seizing control early would be critical, and that is precisely what the Gamecocks did.
By establishing dominance from the opening minutes, South Carolina removed any possibility of Ole Miss finding momentum and grinding their way back into the contest. The result was a comfortable enough margin that Staley was able to rest her starters for much of the fourth quarter — a welcome development at this stage of the season with the postseason approaching.
Tessa Johnson Struggles Offensively but Still Contributes
Tessa Johnson has now scored just three points in back-to-back games, following a 1-of-8 performance from three-point range against Alabama with a 1-of-3 showing on Sunday. It marks the first time all season she has had consecutive off games offensively.
That said, Johnson’s contribution extended well beyond the scoring column. She pulled down six rebounds, dished three assists, and recorded two steals, finishing with a team-high plus/minus of plus-33. As long as she continues to play winning basketball and impact the game in multiple ways, there is no cause for alarm just yet.
Tournebize: The Highs and the Lows
Alicia Tournebize remains one of the more fascinating players to watch on the South Carolina roster. She is capable of stringing together a series of impressive plays — hitting jump shots, hauling in rebounds, defending, and setting screens — only to undercut her own momentum with a careless foul.
The frustrating part is that almost every poor decision she makes falls into the same category: fouls that had no realistic chance of being anything other than fouls. She appears aware of the problem, yet awareness alone has not translated into correction. There are numerous moments during a game where simply staying upright and using her size would be the right play, and Tournebize has the physical tools to make those plays effortlessly.
The encouraging reality is that the positive still outweighs the negative, and it is worth keeping perspective — Tournebize has had just seven weeks of experience in NCAA basketball. She finished Sunday’s game with six points, three rebounds, and two blocks, and the foundation of what she can become is clearly there.
