COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Bree Hall scored a career-high 21 points, Te-Hina Paopao added 15 and top-ranked South Carolina pulled away in the second half for a 81-57 victory over short-handed Missouri on Thursday night.
The Gamecocks (15-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) led by just five points midway through the third quarter before the Tigers (9-7, 0-3) finally went cold from the perimeter, allowing coach Dawn Staley's team to run its regular-season winning streak to 65 games.
The last time South Carolina lost? An overtime setback at Missouri on Dec. 30, 2021.
Hayley Frank and Ashton Judd had 16 points apiece to lead the Tigers.
Missouri, already playing without starting guard Mama Dembele and two others due to injuries, was made even thinner by foul trouble that forced Tigers coach Robin Pingeton into some freshman-heavy lineups in the first half.
Frank picked up her second foul with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half, then her third a few minutes later. Judd got her second foul before the end of the first quarter, and Hannah Linthacum had her fourth by midway through the third.
The Gamecocks took advantage by using a 17-2 run late in the first half to take a 41-28 lead at the break.
Frank and the Tigers kept firing from the perimeter, though. She hit a pair of 3s out of the locker room, and Missouri managed to whittle its deficit to 47-42 midway through the third quarter to put some pressure on the Gamecocks.
South Carolina had the lead back to 13 by the fourth quarter, though, and wasn't threatened the rest of the way.
SHORT-HANDED TIGERS
Dembele, the Tigers' floor leader, had 10 points and 10 assists in their loss to Alabama before hurting her knee during a collision with another player. Missouri already had been missing backup guard Averi Kroenke, who's been dealing with a foot injury, and UMass transfer Angelique Ngalakulondi, who has a shoulder injury.
UP NEXT
South Carolina plays Kentucky on Monday night.
Missouri visits Vanderbilt on Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
