How to watch, what to know as No. 1 South Carolina seeks SEC title against Tennessee

Jeremiah Holloway
Tracy Glantz/tglantz@thestate.com

South Carolina women’s basketball is one win away from the SEC title.

The Gamecocks head to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday. USC is still undefeated, and Tennessee has won four of its last five games.

South Carolina sits in first place in the SEC, and Tennessee is in third. A win would give the Gamecocks a share of the SEC title, and a win on Sunday against Georgia would make them the champions outright.

SOUTH CAROLINA VS. TENNESSEE GAME INFO

Who: South Carolina Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 SEC) vs Tennessee Volunteers (20-9, 12-2 SEC)

Where: Thompson-Boling Arena (21,678) in Knoxville, T.N.

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Stream: via ESPN app/ESPN.com

GAMECOCKS AT THE TOP OF THEIR FIELD

South Carolina enters Thursday after an overtime victory against Ole Miss. The Rebels took a late lead on the Gamecocks in regulation, but a game-tying free throw from Aliyah Boston gave USC a second-chance and five extra minutes.

The Gamecocks are 5-0 in games decided by fewer than 10 points, finding ways to win down the stretch.

South Carolina’s efforts to repeat as national champions is yielding success so far. Still undefeated, USC holds a 33.5-point winning margin. It also is 5-0 against Associated Press Top 25 teams.

After Thursday, South Carolina likely won’t play another game outside of its home state until the Final Four. The team is in a strong position to host its first two NCAA tournament games, and the following two rounds take place in Greenville.

The SEC tournament, which begins on March 1, also will be played in Greenville.

VOLUNTEERS VYING FOR RANKED WIN

Tennessee was picked to finish second in the SEC before the season started and was ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP poll.

But 29 games in, the Volunteers are unranked and have not beaten a ranked team at the time they were ranked.

Tennessee had a rigorous non-conference schedule, facing teams like Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Gonzaga and Stanford. But it came up short in each of those matchups.

The Volunteers have the third-best scoring offense in the SEC at 77.6 points per game, but is just 11th in scoring defense. Facing a South Carolina team that averages more than 82 points per game would require an efficient offensive game and a focus on disrupting USC in the paint.

A win against South Carolina could improve Tennessee’s standing in the NCAA tournament and give it one last chance to take a share of the SEC regular season. Along with a win, they’d need another USC loss and an LSU loss to tie for first place.

Tennessee is currently a No. 6 seed in the Greenville region on ESPN’s bracketology.

QUICK NOTES

  • South Carolina is on a 33-game winning streak dating back to last season.

  • The Volunteers are 14-3 at home. South Carolina lost in its last trip to Knoxville in 2021.

  • Boston is 33 rebounds away from passing Sheila Foster’s all-time South Carolina record (1,427).

  • Media members voted two USC players and three Tennessee players into the All-SEC preseason first team.

  • South Carolina has won six SEC titles since 2014. The Volunteers have claimed one title in that span.

  • USC is first in the SEC in rebounds per game, and Tennessee is third.

  • Dawn Staley is 3-1 against UT head coach Kellie Harper since she took over in 2019.

GAMECOCKS AND VOLUNTEERS PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina: Boston continues to show effectiveness on both sides of the basketball. She’s averaging 13.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the undefeated Gamecocks. Boston is up to nine double-doubles in conference play, along with seven games of three blocks or more against SEC opponents.

Zia Cooke, G, South Carolina: Cooke has led South Carolina in scoring in 13 or its 27 games, and averages a team-high 15.5 points per game. She’s benefited from the added attention teams are giving Boston, and her improved efficiency from last year opens up the perimeter game for South Carolina. She’s made a career-high 49 3-pointers this season.

Jordan Horston, G, Tennessee: Horston is the most well-rounded player on the Volunteers’ roster. She’s second on the team in points, but leads the team in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Standing at 6-foot-2, she’s just as tall as the tallest wing player on South Carolina’s roster, and taller than each perimeter player in the regular rotation.

Rickea Jackson, F, Tennessee: Jackson is the SEC’s third leading scorer at 18.8 points per game. She transferred in from another SEC school, Mississippi State, after last season. Jackson’s played some of her games off the bench, but has started in each of her last eight appearances. The Volunteers have guards that can open up the floor, but look for them to go to Jackson as they have all season long.

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