South Carolina clawed out a tight 79–77 comeback victory over Louisville in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Here are the biggest takeaways from the matchup:
– Dawn Staley’s bench concerns remain unresolved
On Wednesday, Dawn Staley made it clear that even with Agot Makeer sidelined due to concussion protocol, she “would have to force the bench to be more productive.” But that plan never materialized.
Staley didn’t use a single substitution in either the first or fourth quarters. Maddy McDaniel and Adhel Tac played just five and three minutes, all during the first half. Ayla McDowell logged five minutes in the second quarter and another four in the third. Maryam Dauda never touched the floor.
Each reserve — McDaniel, McDowell, and Tac — had small flashes of good play, but the limited minutes left little room for deeper impact.
The challenge is a roster bottleneck. McDaniel and Tac, the two most reliable bench pieces currently available, are slotted behind Raven Johnson and Madina Okot — two starters South Carolina can’t afford to rest for long stretches. McDowell likely wouldn’t have seen much time if Makeer, the most consistent bench producer this season, had been active.
Still, it’s clear something eventually has to change.
– Madina Okot is still chasing that breakthrough moment
For the third time in five games, Okot finished with 23 points — once again matching her career high rather than surpassing it. Late in the fourth quarter Thursday, she missed three consecutive layups that could’ve pushed her over the top.
It’s not the first time she’s been right at the edge, either. Against Duke, she passed up an easy bucket for an assist just before checking out. Versus Winthrop, she missed a late putback — again, just before subbing.
Her game continues to trend upward, but the breakthrough is still waiting.
– Another night of creating at the rim… but struggling to convert
South Carolina had no issues attacking the basket once again, but finishing plays became a challenge for a different reason this time. Against Texas, the issue was simply missed layups. Against Louisville, the problem was the whistle — or lack of one.
Officials allowed Louisville to get away with several obvious fouls at the rim, making it harder for the Gamecocks to convert high-percentage shots.
While officiating criticism is usually avoided, the game likely wouldn’t have been this close with a cleaner whistle. All three referees were working for a second straight night.
Maj Forsberg officiated the Auburn–Syracuse game on Wednesday, while Pualani Spurlock and Billy Smith worked the Oklahoma–NC State overtime game later that same day.
It’s not rare for referees to work back-to-back nights, but given the lapses, it’s hard not to question whether fatigue played a role.
