Starting Five: Mizzou at South Carolina

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Off the bench: Missouri is averaging 11.3 points off the bench in their past three games against South Carolina. However, the bench is completely different from a season ago. The Tigers top three bench scorers from last season’s win are in completely different roles now. This season Jordan Chavis is out of the rotation and Jordan Roundtree and Hannah Schuchts are starters. Therefore, the focus shifts to Cierra Porter. Porter dropped 11 points in three rounds in 29 minutes in Missouri’s win against the Gamecocks last season. However, she was limited to one point in nine minutes in Missouri’s 10-point loss to South Carolina on Jan 28, 2018. Porter has been a different player this year after returning from medical retirement. She can provide a spark off the bench, but Missouri will also rely on guards Haley Troup and Akira Levy.

Off the bench: South Carolina has two players that average more than five points off the bench: LeLe Grissett (5.5) and Bianca Jackson (5.3). Both players have started for coach Dawn Staley this season. The Gamecocks are averaging 15.2 points off the bench in SEC play, with a high of 27 against LSU on Jan 13. Grissett and Jackson combined for 15 points against the Tigers and 12 points against Mississippi State. Last season Jackson had 14 points on 4-6 shooting in South Carolina’s 83-74 loss to Missouri.

TIPOFF: 6:00 p.m. Central

WHERE: Colonial Life Arena

TELEVISION: ESPN 2

RADIO: KTGR 1580 AM

1. Cunningham Must Dominate. Cunningham was the best player on the floor against Georgia. She had 23 points and eight rebounds in the Tigers 61-35 win over the Bulldogs. Missouri needs more of the same against South Carolina and Cunningham hasn’t disappointed in the past two years. It doesn’t matter how the Gamecocks and their fans feel, Cunningham has been extremely effective in their past three meetings. She had 26 their matchup in 2017, 27 points in the Tigers 83-74 victory and 18 points in the loss last season. Cunningham went toe to toe former Gamecock Aja Wilson in all three matchups.

Cunningham can defeat South Carolina for the third straight year and cement her legacy as the Gamecocks most hated player, if she hasn't already. She has picked her spots this season, sometimes differing and seeming passive in Missouri’s offense. Monday isn’t the night and South Carolina isn’t the team to do that against. This is a game that could define her legacy.

2. Offensive Consistency. The strength of South Carolina is its defense. The Gamecocks are first in the SEC in multiple defensive categories. South Carolina is giving up 52 points on 28 percent shooting in the SEC. Also, the Gamecocks are second in the SEC in three-point defense and lead the league with 7.7 blocked shots per game. Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowan is the only player to score over 20 points against South Carolina in conference play. Their defense is legit. On the other hand, Missouri is first in the SEC in field goal percentage, second in three-point percentage and third in scoring offense.

Something must give on Monday night. South Carolina will make this difficult for the Tigers and Missouri will have several scoreless spurts throughout this game. One or two scoreless possessions is understandable, but that can’t turn into several minutes without a score.

3. Keep Emotions in Check. Everyone knows what happened last season. The way it was painted and how South Carolina has tried to paint Cunningham and Missouri as a dirty team. There is a lot of animosity between these two teams. Cunningham and Missouri need to keep this game strictly about basketball on Monday night. This is an important stretch for the Tigers, No. 15 South Carolina and No. 16 Kentucky. Regardless of emotions and history, Missouri can’t afford technical fouls or over-aggressive play get in the way of going 2-0 this week.

Coach Robin Pingeton and Cunningham downplayed the matchup against South Carolina after the blowout win over Georgia on Thursday. Whether the team will admit it publicly or not, this game means much more than a regular SEC game. Both teams are 4-1 in the conference and are jockeying for second place in the SEC. Missouri has a chance to go 3-0 over top-25 teams this season and a win over the Gamecocks would be the biggest win of the season.

The Tennessee win feels like forever ago and seems much less impressive now that the Lady Vols are 1-4 in conference play. Cunningham is 0-2 in Colonial Life Arena and this is her last chance to leave a mark the Tigers biggest rival.

Cunningham and Smith will have to be huge for Missouri to escape with the victory. The duo combined for 47 points in Missouri’s win over the Gamecocks last season and only 27 in the loss in Columbia, South Carolina in the team’s second meeting. Cunningham and Smith are coming off a 32-point performance against Georgia. That isn’t going to cut it against the Gamecocks. Missouri must keep Tyasha Harris from taking over again. Harris dropped 19 points and 4 assists in South Carolina’s win on Jan 28 and she has been in double-digits in both games last season.

South Carolina has four scorers that average at least nine points a game: Te’a Cooper, Tyasha Harris, Alexis Jennings, and Harringan Herbert. It all comes down to Cunningham and Smith versus those four for the Tigers. The moment is staged perfectly for Cunningham and I expect her to have a breakout game of her senior season against the Gamecocks.

PREDICTION: Missouri 61, South Carolina 60

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Sophie Cunningham has 28 points in a program changing win for Missouri. This will set the table for Missouri to take control of the SEC with a win over Kentucky on Thursday.