COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kamilla Cardoso had 16 points and 16 rebounds as No. 1 South Carolina rallied past Georgia 70-56 on Sunday to win its record 43rd straight Southeastern Conference regular-season game.
Not that it came easily. The Gamecocks (25-0, 12-0 SEC) trailed 37-28 when Javyn Nicholson hit the first basket of the third quarter as the sold-out crowd watched in disbelief.
But behind Cardoso, Te-Hina Paopao, Chloe Kitts and MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina cranked it up to remain the country’s only undefeated Division I team.
Cardoso scored three straight points and Kitts had six of her team’s next eight points to draw within 40-39. Fulwiley, the dynamic freshman, took over after that. Her basket put South Carolina in front for good and she followed with two foul shots and a spinning drive through lane that resulted in an easy basket for Ashlyn Watkins.
Georgia kept things within single digits until the final period when back-to-back 3s by Oregon transfer Paopao widened things to 60-48.
The Bulldogs (11-14, 2-10) could not respond and lost their 18th straight to the Gamecocks.
Nicholson had a career-high 27 points, surpassing her previous best of 24 set earlier this season against Ball State. She added 12 rebounds for her 14th double-double this year.
Paopao had 15 points off five 3-pointers and Kitts finished with 12 points, 10 in the final two quarters.
It was Nicholson and the Bulldogs who pushed the pace early on with a 17-2 surge between the first and second quarters to build a 23-17 lead.
They remained ahead, 37-28 after Nicholson had a pair of three-point plays and her opening shot of the third quarter before things fell apart.
THE BIG PICTURE
Georgia: It’s been a tough season for the Bulldogs, who won 22 games and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. They certainly looked like they had the goods to upset the country’s best team before getting overwhelmed down the stretch.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks off-again, on-again performance of late — they trailed Tennessee 28-25 at the half before winning this past Thursday night — is ripe for problems given the one-and-done nature of the NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
Georgia plays at Mississippi on Thursday night.
South Carolina takes on Alabama on Thursday night.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
