Women’s basketball traveled to Canada over Thanksgiving break to compete in the Vancouver Showcase in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Bucs came up short as they faced South Carolina (101-55), Western Kentucky (82-68) and Rutgers (68-44).
The Bucs faced the No. 13 Gamecocks first in the showcase.
The Gamecocks had a strong lead in the beginning of the first quarter with the Bucs trailing 20-4. Freshman Kaia Upton (Nashville, Tennessee) and sophomore Erica Haynes-Overton (Nashville, Tennessee) went 4-4, while red-shirt junior Carley Lytton (Floyd, Virginia) went 2-2, helping the Bucs with a 6-0 run, but the Gamecocks would end the first quarter leading 31-21.
The second quarter started with a different pace from the Bucs with a layup from freshman Shynia Jackson (Warner Robins, Georgia), but the Gamecocks would have a 9-0 run and then another 8-0 run to end the quarter at 55-29.
The Bucs would also be left trailing the Gamecocks throughout the final half.
The Bucs had a different start in their second game facing the Hilltoppers, thanks to Haynes-Overton scoring the first basket with a layup. Haynes-Overton would tie the game after the Hilltoppers scored back-to-back points, and Upton would give the Bucs four points. The Hilltoppers would still lead the score 23-10.
A 6-0 run from the Hilltoppers would start the second quarter, but that Bucs would come back fighting, outscoring the Hilltoppers 18-17. Lytton would give the Bucs their only three of the half and Overton would lead the Bucs with six points before ending the first half trailing 40-28.
The team would continue to fight and have many close calls tying the score, but through the last half they would continue to trail and end the game 82-68.
The Bucs would conclude the Showcase against the Knights.
Haynes-Overton would tie her season-high of 23 points and gain five steals, while Upton would have three steals and senior Britney Snowden (Pensacola, Florida) with five rebounds against the Knights.
The Knights started the game with back-to-back points, leading the first quarter 31-10. The Bucs would face the same outcome of the previous two games, trailing the Knights throughout the next three quarters.
Women’s Basketball will be back home to face Appalachian State on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
