COLUMBIA, S.C. — Aliyah Boston had 22 points and 15 rebounds to help No. 1 South Carolina beat second-ranked UConn 73-57 to win the inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis tournament championship.
This was the 61st meeting between the top two teams in the women’s AP Top 25 poll and the sixth time it has happened in November. The last meeting of the top two teams before Monday was between these same squads back in February.
UConn was the No. 2 team and won 63-59 in overtime.
The Gamecocks wouldn’t let the Huskies beat them in the Bahamas, outscoring them 16-3 in the final quarter.
“Our players are determined. They are resilient,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “We knew exactly what we had to do especially on the defensive side of the ball. We had to disrupt."
Paige Bueckers had 19 points to lead UConn, which fell to 3-1. South Carolina is 6-0.
This was the first of two meetings this season between these teams. The Huskies will visit South Carolina on Jan. 27. Both teams expect to be much improved by the second matchup.
BIG PICTURE
South Carolina: This was the third win over a top-10 team for the Gamecocks. They've already beat No. 5 North Carolina State and ninth-ranked Oregon .
