Missing Henderson, No. 1 Gamecocks cruise past Kansas State. What we learned

No Destanni Henderson, no problem.

Missing one of its veteran stalwarts on Friday night, the No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team welcomed a sizzling Kansas State (7-2) team to Columbia as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Head coach Dawn Staley’s team didn’t miss beat, defeating the Wildcats 65-44 to move to 9-0 on the season.

Here’s what we learned about the Gamecocks.

USC’s Henderson out with injury

The team’s starting point guard, Henderson sat out Friday’s contest with a leg injury. Henderson played just 16 minutes in Monday’s win over North Carolina A&T and wore a compression sleeve on her left leg.

Staley said after Thursday’s practice that Henderson was day-to-day, but she didn’t delve into specifics about Henderson’s injury. Coming into Friday, Henderson led all Gamecocks in minutes played, assists (36), steals (14) and made 3-point shots (14). She averages 12.5 points per game, third-most on the team.

In her place, junior Laeticia Amihere earned her first start of the season. Though an unconventional choice at point guard with her long 6-foot-4 frame, Amihere more than held her own at the position, taking care of the ball with just one turnover and scoring 11 points to go along with seven assists, seven rebounds and five blocks.

Junior guard Zia Cooke also saw time at the point, with senior Destiny Littleton and freshman Saniya Rivers each rotating into the backcourt. Rivers played a season-high in minutes (28) but was held scoreless on four field-goal attempts, while Cooke had a difficult night shooting just 1-for-9.

Boston wins the battle against Lee

Kansas State’s best chance of competing against the No. 1 Gamecocks was by leaning on 6-foot-6 junior center Ayoka Lee. Coming into the game, Lee led the Wildcats with a whopping 24.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. The team’s next-highest scorer, guard Serena Sundell, averages 14 points less.

K-State’s game plan was clear from the get-go, as they funneled the ball in the paint to set up scoring opportunities for their star player. However, Lee met her match in the form of USC’s Aliyah Boston, who had a double-double before halftime.

After Lee scored four easy points to start the game, the Gamecocks honed in on her defensively, and the 6-foot-5 Boston and 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso attacked her inside the paint on the offensive end. Lee and the Wildcats had no answer for USC’s physicality inside, and Lee resorted to fouling.

Lee committed her third foul and came out of the game with 6:25 to play in the first, and the Gamecocks proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to build a commanding 30-17 halftime lead. Lee’s fourth foul came just 1:30 into the third quarter, and the Gamecocks never looked back.

Boston finished with a game-high 21 points and 17 rebounds.

Turnover issues pop up again

It’s not easy to find faults in this undefeated Gamecocks team, but if there’s been one issue for Staley’s Gamecocks early in the season, it’s been taking care of the ball.

While it didn’t come back to hurt USC, the Gamecocks turned the ball over nine times in the first half Friday, including five turnovers in the first quarter alone. Part of that early sloppiness likely could be attributed to Henderson not playing the point. Cooke turned the ball over four times herself.

But the Gamecocks played a much a crisper second half, turning the ball over five times as a team as they continued to pull away from the Wildcats.

Next USC women’s basketball game

Who: South Carolina vs. Maryland

When: Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.

Watch: ESPN