South Carolina's defense just held Howard to a historically bad first half in the NCAA tournament
South Carolina is an incredible team that has done spectacular things all season long, which is why they’re the odds on favorite at sportsbooks to win the women’s NCAA Tournament. However, the Gamecocks’ dominance reached another level on Friday.
In the first round of the tournament, Dawn Staley’s squad held its opponent, the Howard Bison, to four total points in the first half. You read that correctly. Four total points — breaking Prairie View’s record (eight points) for the fewest points scored in a half in NCAA Tournament history.
The points, all by junior guard Iyanna Warren, came on one field goal and two free throws.
What’s lost in South Carolina’s dominant defensive performance is the fact that Howard’s defense actually is doing a good job, as well. The Bison held South Carolina to 36.2 percent shooting (17-47) and 9.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc (2-22).
Yet, the only thing that pops off the page is the 44-4 score at the break.
Keep in mind, the record for the fewest points scored in a women’s NCAA game is 11 points, which belongs to Tennessee State (2011).