Gamecocks’ Cooke takes control in OT to defeat Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – Zia Cooke scored five of her 24 points in overtime to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 64-57 victory over Mississippi on Saturday. The defending national champion Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) got one of their biggest scares of the season before winning their 33rd game in a row. The Rebels (20-7, 9-5) never trailed by more than six points in regulation and came away with their first win over a No. 1 team in 46 years.

Cooke had six rebounds and four assists to help set up a 7-of-18 shooting performance. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-14 shooting and was scoreless in the first quarter.

The deep Gamecocks didn’t get the usual scoring help from their two stars, though Kamilla Cardoso had eight points and 11 boards.

Angel Baker led Ole Miss with 17 points. Snudda Collins added 11 while Marquesha Davis had nine points and seven rebounds. Rita Igbokwe blocked six shots.

It was just the third single-digit margin and the second straight overtime game for the defending national champions, who won by an average of 33.5 points. The first two came against No. 3 Stanford (76-71 in overtime) and No. 6 UConn (81-77). South Carolina dominated overtime, 9-2.

Cooke’s second overtime basket matched South Carolina’s largest lead to the point, 63-57, with 1:33 left. The teams traded turnovers but Ole Miss missed three attempts to stay alive, including two straight 3-point attempts by Baker after offensive rebounds.

Cooke, who had scored South Carolina’s first eight points of the game, then made one of two foul shots.

Ole Miss rallied from a six-point deficit in the final 7 minutes to force overtime.

Baker had a steal and layup then gave Ole Miss its first lead since the opening minute with a jumper to go up 55-54 with 1:20 left. Then Igbokwe blocked two shots by Boston to preserve the edge.

With 30 seconds left, Boston made 1 of 2 free throws to tie it. Ole Miss turned it over without taking a shot off, and Boston couldn’t make one at the buzzer as South Carolina finished regulation in a 1-of-11 slump.

Noted

• South Carolina’s overtime win over the Rebels was its second this season (Stanford, 11/20/22), with both wins coming by five points or more.
• With 24 points, Zia Cooke posted back-to-back games of 20 or more points, scored the team’s first eight points to start the game, and scored the last three points for the Gamecocks to secure the victory in overtime.
• Aliyah Boston recorded her 77th career double-double, scoring eight of her 13 points in the second half including a game-tying free throw. Boston tallied seven of his 12 rebounds in the fourth quarter, and then to add another in overtime in addition to two more points to give the Gamecocks a four-point lead with just over two minutes to go.
• Kamilla Cardoso scored eight points for the Gamecocks, including a late second-quarter layup to give the Gamecocks their largest lead of the game at six. Cardoso also had 11 rebounds, his fourth game in the last five with 10 or more rebounds.