DALLAS — There aren’t many teams that could lose a player who averages a double-double and stay on course.
But that’s just what the South Carolina women’s basketball team has been able to do after losing senior center Alaina Coates (12.9 points per game, 10.7 rebounds) to an injury in the Southeastern Conference tournament.
Instead of limiting the Gamecocks’ offense, the loss of Coates has opened opportunities and created more space on offense for SEC Player of the Year A’ja Wilson to operate and for others to get involved.
“I think our biggest challenge was just knowing we weren’t going to have that double-double,” Wilson said. “Alaina gets the points and the rebounds, and those are probably the two things that are very, very hard to fill, especially rebounds. I think we’re going against some of the top rebounding teams in the country, and it is kind of hard to rebound.
“But I think our biggest thing with that is people fulfilling different roles. I think it woke up a bunch of people, and it also woke up myself. I think that was our biggest challenge, and I think we really overcame it and I think we are doing really well.”
South Carolina’s ability to adapt on the fly has enabled it to make history and advance to face Mississippi State (34-4) in its first national title game at 5 p.m. today (ESPN) at American Airlines Center.
South Carolina (32-4) defeated MSU 64-61 on Jan. 23 in Columbia, South Carolina, and 59-49 in the championship game of the SEC tournament on March 5 in Greenville, South Carolina. It has earned victories against UNC Asheville, Arizona State, Quinnipiac, Florida State, and Stanford in the NCAA tournament to set up the first all-SEC national title game since 1996, when Tennessee defeated Georgia 83-65.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said she talked to all of her players after Coates went down to make sure they knew she believed in them.
“When you have a player go down that has contributed in the way Alaina has contributed for us, it really is a blow,” Staley said. “You feel it from an emotional standpoint and you have to take it head on in that moment.”
Staley said she told her players the Gamecocks were moving forward. She said she didn’t want to show any signs of weakness or a lack of confidence with who was left. Staley believes the players took the lead from the coaching staff and are on track to accomplish the final goal on their list.
Wilson has played a key role in that journey. The 6-foot-5 junior center is averaging 18.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocked shots in the last seven games without Coates. Against Stanford, Wilson did a little bit of everything with 13 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals.
“We had to have more paint dominance,” South Carolina freshman guard Tyasha Harris said. “That is either getting the ball into A’ja and her doing the damage or us driving and then scoring in the paint, and also boxing out and getting offensive and defensive rebounds.”
Junior Allisha Gray, a transfer from North Carolina, and junior guard Kaela Davis, a transfer from Georgia Tech, also have raised their levels of play. Gray has moved to the four, or power forward position and it averaging eight rebounds a game in the last five games. She is second on the team in scoring (13 points per game). Davis is averaging 16.5 ppg. on 46.2-percent shooting, including 46.7 percent from 3-point range.
“I just think we have been a lot more aggressive and are trying to get more points in the paint,” Davis said.
Davis said it hasn’t been easy to get “feet in the paint” to pass or to score, but she said it is paying off so far.
Davis said she has been happy with how she has played, at least until Friday night against Stanford in a 62-53 victory. Davis went 2-for-15 from the field and had six points and three rebounds in 33 minutes.
But Gray picked up the slack by shooting 7-for-14 from the field and scoring a game-high 18 points
“Allisha is definitely our X factor,” Wilson said. “I think people sleep on Allisha a lot because you never know when the beat may wake up.”
Wilson, who is roommates with Gray, said Gray is so effective because she is such a big guard who can be effective against smaller guards. She said Gray also is good at exploiting her size and quickness in her new role as a post player, just as long as she isn’t too hard on herself.
Gray praised Staley for having so much confidence in the Gamecocks following the loss of Coates. She said Staley’s positivity fills the players’ character and adds to their will to win.
“She will pick this group of girls any day,” Gray said. “That gives us motivation to know that the coach has confidence in us and let’s just win.”
Gray was hit above her right eye Friday in practice and had to have six stitches. But she is ready to go and to play any role she is needed to play. She can play defense, too. The Gamecocks are 18-0 when holding opponents under 60 points and 15-0 when scoring 80 or more points.
“With Alaina going down averaging a double-double, the rebounding part is a big chunk missing,” Gray said. “I just had to get the mind-set of going to rebound more, even though it is very hard because Alaina is an unbelievable rebounder. I try my best to do whatever it is to help the team.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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