COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina women's Coach Dawn Staley was proud to take part in a showcase game with Mississippi State. She wouldn't be surprised to see one just like it on a much bigger stage in a few months.
A'ja Wilson tied her season high with 26 points and the fifth-ranked Gamecocks held off previously undefeated No. 4 Mississippi 64-61 in a SEC showdown Monday night.
"It was a great game for the SEC. A great game for women's basketball," Staley said. "Two teams fighting it out."
And she thinks it's very possible to see a rematch at the Final Four. Earlier Monday, the NCAA Tournament selection committee projected both the Gamecocks and Bulldogs as No. 1 seeds, slotted at No. 3 and No. 4 overall among the 16 teams picked. Connecticut and Baylor were slotted at No. 1 and No. 2 overall, respectively.
"I hope I see you in Dallas and we talk about that," Mississippi State Coach Vic Schaefer said.
Nothing in this one dimmed either team's hopes of going that far.
It was a game filled with dramatic turns and stellar plays. The Gamecocks just made most of them down the stretch.
Allisha Gray had 16 of her 17 points in the final two quarters to fuel the comeback for South Carolina (17-1, 7-0 SEC), who trailed 35-28 at halftime and down 48-46 late in the third quarter. It was the ninth consecutive victory over the Bulldogs (20-1, 6-1) who ceded control of the conference to three-time defending champion South Carolina.
Mississippi State had several chances to win. Victoria Vivians could've tied the game at 62-62 after getting fouled on a 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds left. But after hitting the first two free throws, Vivians' final attempt rattled away and the ball went out of bounds off the Gamecocks.
Blair Schaefer's three-pointer from the right corner with eight seconds left missed the mark. Again, the ball came up Mississippi State's way on a tie up beneath the basket. But Vivians missed a short shot with four seconds left, Wilson collected the rebound and hit two foul shots for the final margin.
"It was a clean shot," Vivians said of her final miss.
Breanna Richardson and Vivians each had 12 points to lead the Bulldogs.
"It was just a great feeling," said Wilson, who added nine rebounds and three blocks in her second game back after missing two contests with a right ankle sprain. "We really stepped up to the plate."
Sports on 01/24/2017