The South Carolina Gamecocks closed out their regular season with a win over the Kentucky Wildcats, but it was far from the comfortable finish many expected. It turned into a gritty battle, with Dawn Staley’s side narrowly escaping the game with a 60-56 win. One major factor behind the struggle was Tessa Johnson’s off night from the field, as her shooting woes kept Kentucky within striking distance until the final moments.

“I just thought we didn’t hit shots. I mean, we got some great looks,” Dawn Staley said in the postgame press conference while addressing the reason for the close contest. “Tessa doesn’t shoot the way she shot, always. I thought she had some pretty open looks. I thought she took some that were kind of quick, but we can take that from Tessa. So we bit the bullet and took some quick shots, and they made us pay for it.”

Heading into the Kentucky game, the Lady Gamecocks welcomed Tessa Johnson back into the starting lineup after she missed the Missouri matchup with an upper-body contusion. Her return was expected to provide a major boost for Dawn Staley’s side. After all, Johnson led the SEC in three-point shooting at 45.5% and ranked No. 8 nationally in three-point efficiency.

But that’s not all that made her season impressive. Heading into the Kentucky game, she had already knocked down 71 threes — twice her freshman total and 25 more than she made last year. Johnson was also averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds to go with it, cementing herself as a key member of Dawn Staley’s starting lineup.

To add to that, her performance against LSU was one for the history books. She showed flashes of Caitlin Clark in that game, scoring 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting and drilling four three-pointers, which even prompted a frustrated Kim Mulkey to ask her team, “Who can guard Tessa?”

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But her return against Kentucky wasn’t as fruitful as we all thought it would be. Coming off her injury, she struggled to make an impact, shooting 5-of-15 from the field and 2-of-10 from beyond the arc to finish with just 12 points. That’s not what we usually expect from a sharpshooter like Tessa, and naturally, the Gamecocks found it tough to shake off the No. 16 team in the country.

Coach Dawn Staley was also asked after the game whether the fact that it was the final regular-season matchup and that they had already secured the regular-season title had anything to do with the lack of effort. She was quick to dismiss that idea.

She continued, “I thought both teams got a little bit tired. I think when you exert as much energy as both of us did on both sides of the ball trying to get a win, it takes a lot of gutting up, and sometimes that makes your shot a little short. Sometimes it makes you step a little slow. And I thought at times, when the game was flowing for both us and against us, it played a part.”

It was indeed a physical battle throughout, with both teams combining for 74 rebounds. The clash between the two post players on either side was especially one to watch. Madina Okot recorded her 20th double-double of the season on Sunday, while Clara had a dominant showing as well, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds.

But in the end, Tessa Johnson did come up clutch for Dawn Staley’s side. The Lady Gamecocks held a 54–43 lead with 8:28 left, and you would think that from that point on, protecting the advantage wouldn’t be a problem for a team known for its defense. But that wasn’t the case. The Wildcats crept dangerously close to taking the lead multiple times, yet timely buckets from Okot and Johnson kept South Carolina from slipping.

In fact, after the 8:28 mark, those two were the only players to score for the Gamecocks, who finished the night with their lowest point total of the season.

Regardless of Tessa having an off shooting night, we all know a player of her caliber will bounce back sooner rather than later. This was still an important win for the Gamecocks, who once again showed they’re more than capable of grinding out results. That’s exactly what Staley emphasized as well: “We only scored 60 points, but to only allow someone 56, that’s really saying something. We can win scoring 80 points. We can win scoring 60 points. I think it’s just a confidence builder for us to have some success in our league.”

A lot of the credit for this win belongs to Madina Okot.

Dawn Staley Praises Madina Okot After Strong Showing

Madina Okot’s recent performances have been praiseworthy. Do you remember back in January when she was struggling to find her rhythm against Texas, Coppin State, and Oklahoma, shooting around 32% from the field in the Coppin State and Oklahoma games? Coach Dawn Staley decided to move her out of the starting lineup…a move that ultimately benefited both Okot and the team.

Her stint off the bench against Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Texas A&M was anything but smooth. Outside of a 17-point showing against Vanderbilt, Okot couldn’t quite stamp her authority. But basketball has a funny way of scripting redemption. Reinserted into the starting five against Mississippi State — her old program — Okot seized the moment. And once she did, there was no turning back.

The Kentucky matchup marked her seventh consecutive double-double since returning to the starting lineup and her 20th of the season. “Big Mama [Okot] did her thing,” Staley said. “Big Mama had 21 points, 13 rebounds. I told her, if she’s got the stamina to play four or five more minutes, she might be able to add to her stat line. She’s playing extremely well and composed, and I thought she did a great job for us, just anchoring on both sides of the basketball.”

The way the Gamecocks are performing right now, it’s hard not to see a path for them to reach another Final Four. But for now, their focus shifts to the SEC Tournament, where they’ll wait to find out their opponent. Entering as the No. 1 seed, they’ll face the winner of Georgia versus Arkansas/Kentucky in the quarterfinals. A rematch between Kentucky and South Carolina could very well be on the cards.

What about you? Do you see the Gamecocks reaching another Final Four this season? Let us know in the comments below!