Zia Cooke had 15 points and four assists in 20 minutes to lead No. 1 South Carolina to its 30th straight win, 83-48 over Auburn on Thursday night.
The Gamecocks (24-0, 11-0 Southeastern Conference) dominated from the start in a game sandwiched between a pair of top-5 matchups. They were coming off an 81-77 win over No. 4 UConn and host No. 3 LSU on Sunday.
Aliyah Boston had 10 points and eight rebounds for South Carolina before exiting with 8:54 left to end a string of eight straight double-doubles. Victaria Saxton scored six of the Gamecocks’ first eight points and finished with 10. Kierra Fletcher had nine points and five assists.
South Carolina outrebounded Auburn 50-26 and had 11 players score.
Sydney Shaw tied her career high with 15 points and made 3 of 4 3-pointers to lead the Tigers (13-10, 3-8). Auburn played without its top scorer and rebounder Aicha Coulibaly, who sat out with a leg injury. Mar’shaun Bostic added 10 points.
No. 2 scorer Honesty Scott-Grayson was held to four points on 2-of-11 shooting.
South Carolina doubled up Auburn in the first half, 42-21, after scoring the first eight points of the second quarter.
It didn’t get closer.
The Gamecocks made 34 of 69 shots (49.3%). Auburn was 19-of-61 shooting (31.1%) against the nation’s top scoring defense.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: Has won the last 14 meetings.
Auburn: Dropped its second straight after a three-game SEC winning streak. South Carolina won the first meeting 94-42 on Jan. 5.
UP NEXT
South Carolina hosts No. 3 LSU on Sunday.
Auburn visits Alabama on Sunday.