COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – A’ja Wilson had 20 points and 14 rebounds, Alaina Coates added 17 points and 13 rebounds and No. 2 South Carolina withstood Kelsey Mitchell’s 36 points to beat No. 6 Ohio State 88-80 on Friday night.
The marquee matchup played out more like an NCAA tournament contest than a season opener. The Buckeyes held a 68-65 lead with 8:47 left on Mitchell’s 3-pointer. That’s when the Gamecocks’ height in the 6-foot-4 Coates and 6-foot-5 Wilson took control.
The duo scored the Gamecocks’ last 16 points and Coates twice blocked Shayla Cooper’s close-in shots with Ohio State still in contention the final two minutes.
Tiffany Mitchell had 15 points for South Carolina.
Ameryst Alston had 23 points for Ohio State, which next faces No. 1 Connecticut on Monday. According to STATS.com, it’s the first time since 2006-07 a team has played the top two ranked teams in consecutive games.
