South Carolina routs Florida for 22nd straight victory
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Mikiah Herbert Harrigan scored 18 points, Tyasha Harris added 16 and No. 1 South Carolina routed Florida 100-67 on Thursday night for its 22nd consecutive victory.
The Gamecocks (28-1, 15-0 Southeastern Conference) matched the program record for consecutive victories. The 2015-16 team also won 22 in a row.
This one was decided by halftime. South Carolina made 18 of its first 26 shots (69.2%) to open up a double-digit lead and then used a 16-2 run to go up by 26 in the second quarter. The Gamecocks led 53-30 at the break and made it a 30-point blowout early in the third quarter.
Zada Williams led the Gators (15-13, 6-9) with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Lavender Briggs added 15.
Herbert Harrigan did most of her damage in the opening 20 minutes. Harris took over from there, scoring six points in the third. She added eight assists.
Aliyah Boston chipped in 11 points and nine rebounds, finishing one board shy of her 12th double-double this season. Zia Cooke also had 11 points, and LeLe Grissett ended up with 10 - giving the Gamecocks five players in double figures as they reached the century mark for the first time since late November.
South Carolina shot 59.2% from the floor, outscoring Florida in the paint, in transition and off the bench.
Florida fell to 0-10 against top-ranked teams in the AP poll. The Gators were hosting the No. 1 team for the first time since 1998 and looking to beat a ranked team for the third time this month.
Florida upset then-No. 14 Kentucky in early February and then-No. 22 Arkansas last weekend. But the Gators never had a chance Thursday, showing just how much work third-year coach Cam Newbauer has to do to close the gap on the league's top team.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: Anything short of the Final Four, and maybe a second national championship in four years, would be a disappointment for the Gamecocks. They are 10-1 against ranked teams, including wins over defending national champion Baylor and perennial powerhouse UConn.
Florida: With 15 wins, including six in the SEC, the Gators have surpassed their win total from each of the last two seasons. Newbauer seems to have the program on the right track, but significant progress has been slow.
UP NEXT
South Carolina: Hosts No. 12 Texas A&M to end the regular season Sunday.
Florida: Closes the regular season at Georgia on Sunday.
---
More AP women's basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25