GREENVILLE, S.C. -- South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley had no worries about how her team would perform without all-SEC forward Alaina Coates in the lineup, winning three of the past four games with the senior mostly on the sidelines.
The fifth-ranked Gamecocks will have to handle it one more time if they hope to win a third consecutive SEC Tournament title.
"It starts with the coaches," Staley said. "We don't fret who we don't have. We have to move forward with who we have available."
That means Coates, who tweaked her bad right ankle in the third one more time and had to be helped to the locker room. Staley said Coates won't play today against either No. 6 Mississippi State.
A'ja Wilson stepped up big time once more in Coates' absence, with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks for an 89-77 victory over the 20th-ranked Wildcats. She also helped ignite a late Gamecock run after Kentucky (21-10) had sliced a 14-point lead down to 75-73 with about four minutes to go.
"I was just thinking we had to win this ballgame," Wilson said.
After Alyssa Rice's layup left South Carolina up by two, Wilson followed with a pair of foul shots to start a closing 14-4 run.
Coates missed Friday's quarterfinal blowout of Georgia. She got in for four minutes this time, but left the court in third quarter when she split two defenders, got fouled attempting a layup and crumpled to the ground in pain.
Coates was helped in the locker room before returning to the bench with a boot on her on her injured ankle. Staley said Coates would be ready for the NCAA Tournament in two weeks.
Kaela Davis and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan had 17 points each for the Gamecocks.
Makayla Epps had 31 points and fellow all-SEC first-team teammate Evelyn Akhator added 24 for the Wildcats (21-10). They have lost six in row to South Carolina.
Kentucky played without starting guard Taylor Murray, sidelined with a neck strain suffered late in Friday's quarterfinal victory over Alabama. Murray's status going forward is day-to-day.
"Down the stretch, got a couple of foul calls, got a couple of free throws we didn't execute as well, missed a couple of shots, couldn't get the rebound," Epps said.
NO. 6 MISSISSIPPI STATE 66, TEXAS A&M 50
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Dominique Dillingham had 14 points and No. 6 Mississippi State advanced to its second consecutive SEC Tournament Championship Game with a 66-50 victory over Texas A&M.
The Bulldogs set a school record with their 29th victory this season. They'll look for No. 30 today against two-time defending tournament champion South Carolina.
Morgan William added 12 points for Mississippi State (29-3) as all-SEC first-team selection Victoria Vivians was off her game for a second consecutive night. Vivians, who made just 1 of 5 shots for 5 points in a Bulldogs victory Friday night, was just 4 of 14 from the field for 10 points against Texas A&M (21-11).
Not that it mattered all that much in this one. Mississippi State was up 14 points at the break and stretched the margin to 24 in the third quarter.
It was a disappointing performance for Aggies Coach Gary Blair, who had hoped for a better showing against his one-time assistant in Mississippi State Coach Vic Schaefer. With the loss, it was the first time Texas A&M lost three times in the same season to an SEC opponent.
Danni Williams had 13 points before fouling out to lead Texas A&M.
Sports on 03/05/2017