TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Destanni Henderson had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead No. 5 South Carolina to a 77-60 victory over Alabama on Monday night.

The Crimson Tide cut the deficit as low as eight points late in the third quarter, but Zia Cooke scored nine of her 18 total points during the final 11 minutes to keep the Gamecocks (7-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) in near-total control down the stretch.

South Carolina’s starting lineup averaged 1.6 inches taller than their counterparts on the Crimson Tide roster, and the Gamecocks certainly made the most of that advantage in this one.

South Carolina actually hauled in more rebounds on offense (26) than the Crimson Tide could pull down on defense (24), giving the Gamecocks a decisive 55-31 edge.

That allowed the Gamecocks to score twice as many second-chance points (22) as Alabama (11).

Jordan Lewis scored a career-high 28 points for Alabama (8-1, 1-1), topping her previous best of 27 against Missouri on Thursday.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The Gamecocks have now defeated four consecutive opponents by at least 16 points, dating back to the team’s eight-point loss to No. 3 NC State on Dec. 3.

Alabama: Monday’s loss was the first time the Crimson Tide failed to score at least 74 points this season.

UP NEXT

South Carolina hosts Georgia on Thursday night. The Gamecocks haven’t dropped a game to the Bulldogs since the 2012-13 campaign.

Alabama hosts LSU on Thursday. The Crimson Tide has lost its last three games against the Tigers dating back to the 2017-18 season.

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