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No. 1 South Carolina women pull away from Mississippi, 71-57

Posted February 27, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

South Carolina guard Destanni Henderson (3) dribbles towards the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The Associated Press

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Destanni Henderson tied her career high with 23 points and Aliyah Boston had 15 points and 14 rebounds to lead No. 1 South Carolina to a 71-57 win over Mississippi in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Boston extended her record streak of double-doubles to 21 for the Gamecocks (27-1, 15-1 Southeastern Conference), who had already clinched the regular-season title and No. 1 seed entering the league tournament in Nashville.

They found themselves in a tight game until a dominant closing stretch against the Rebels (22-7, 10-6), who had won four straight. Then South Carolina put it away with a 12-0 run.

Shakira Austin led Ole Miss with 20 points and seven rebounds and scored all of the Rebels' eight points in the fourth. She made 8 of 14 shots.

Henderson had previously scored 23 against Gonzaga in November 2020. She also had eight assists on Sunday.

Boston had broken the SEC record with her 20th straight double-double Thursday night against Texas A&M.

Zia Cooke scored 12 points and Brea Beal had 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Gamecocks.

Lashonda Monk scored 16 for Ole Miss and Angel Baker chipped in 11. Mimi Reid didn't score but her five assists gave her a fourth straight season with 100-plus.

Ole Miss cut a seven-point halftime deficit down to 42-39 on a jump shot by Monk two minutes into the third quarter. Then the Rebels twice pulled to within four points early in the fourth before South Carolina scored 12 straight points to push its lead to double digits for the first time.

The Rebels went more than six minutes without a field goal in the fourth.

BIG PICTURE

Ole Miss wilted down the stretch but was competitive for more than three quarters. The Rebels shot 23 of 61 (37.7%) and fell to 2-5 against ranked teams.

South Carolina doubled up Ole Miss 16-8 in the fourth and won its 15th straight overall and against the Rebels.

UP NEXT

Both teams head to Nashville for the SEC Tournament, where the Gamecocks figure to be sizable favorites.

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More AP women's college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

South Carolina guard Zia Cooke (1) attempts a shot at the basket while Mississippi guard Lashonda Monk (1) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The Associated Press

South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston (4) pushes into Mississippi forward Shakira Austin (0) as she tries to shoot a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The Associated Press

South Carolina guard Brea Beal (12) attempts a three-point shot past Mississippi forward Snudda Collins (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The Associated Press

Mississippi forward Shakira Austin (0) and South Carolina forward Aliyah Boston (4) battle for a loose rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Oxford, Miss., Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The Associated Press

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