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Message: [QUOTE="GoChips20, post: 4805957, member: 11308"] Rough night for South Carolina that I suspect was more than a fluke. The Notre Dame and Maryland wins were and are solid but both look less valuable now. That said, I thought this was going to be a barnburner from the moment it was scheduled. Throw it all out when it comes to a rivalry. For South Carolina: [LIST] [*]Not Raven Johnson’s best night although I continue to be impressed with her defensive performance. Made some really poor decisions with the ball and bricked a handful of key free throws. She didn’t look rattled to me, it was just a bad day at the office. [*]Chloe Kitts might’ve been the MVP of this game. Broke open the floor with a couple of midrange jumpers and was SC’s best option at the line. Rotated very well defensively. Did a decent job on Ustby, she’s a tough cover (more on that below). [*]Excellent breakout game for Hall and had a massive late block on Ustby on a drive that could have tied the game. [*]Watkins made an impact but is foul-prone. Wonder if that’s why she’s not starting. [*]Cardoso was a nonfactor offensively although UNC sold out to make sure that happened. It didn’t necessarily show in the stat sheet but I thought Gakdeng outplayed her. I think Kamilla is just reserved by nature but at times she seems passive to me and she’s too important and skilled for that to happen regularly. [*]PaoPao’s shooting is a difference-maker for this team. [*]I’m not sure SC is truly the best team in the country right now after watching LSU tonight but gritty wins like this go a long ways in March. They started hot, let’s see what happens from here. [/LIST] For North Carolina: [LIST] [*]Ustby is a player I’m taking at the top if I’m building a team. She has no shot but does everything else very well. I think she’s easily their best player. For those that have heard of incoming Duke recruit Toby Fournier, I think Ustby is a good player comparison for what she could become. Underratedly athletic at the 4 spot. [*]Gakdeng is a beast. I hadn’t seen much of her at Boston College but she’s skilled and played great defense. She’s 6’3” but a LONG 6’3”. Terrific athlete and got a lot of big boards off pure hustle and want-to. [*]I have never been a huge Deja Kelly fan but I do see why she’s so valuable to UNC. She’s not efficient but draws a lot of contact and can get to the line easily. She carried them in the first half, it just didn’t hold up after the break. Took a hard fall, hope she’s all good. [*]Donarski was never ISU’s go-to but she looks a little underutilized to me, especially given her defensive reputation. [/LIST] Other thoughts: [LIST] [*]The brawl in the first half definitely added to the tension of the game, especially late. Just seemed like there was some fire between both teams which isn’t a bad thing if it’s kept under control. I was a little mystified Ustby didn’t come away with a tech given she appeared closely involved in the origin. [*]Not sold on Banghart as a coach. Defensively they’re very good but I think the collective whole is less than the parts when it comes to scoring the ball. [*]UNC v. UConn could be a very interesting and entertaining game. Tar Heel’s defense will keep them in a lot of games. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]

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