Columbia Standard

When Aliyah Boston is on her game, it’s easy to see why the South Carolina Gamecocks boast the top-ranked team in college women’s basketball.

For the second week in a row, Boston took home Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Week honors, sharing the award with Aijha Blackwell of the University of Missouri.

It’s not hard to see why Boston earned the recognition again.

“Last week Boston took sole ownership of and then extended the program record for consecutive double-doubles by posting her 10th and 11th in a row against Texas A&M and Arkansas, finishing the week with 19.0 points and 14.0 rebounds per game,” according to a post on the university’s sports website. 

“Against the Aggies she needed just 13 minutes to reach the double-double before going on to finish with 19 points and 15 rebounds,” the article said. “Nine of those 15 boards were on the offensive end, and she turned them into 12 points.”

Boston had similar stats against Arkansas, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds. She put up 11 points and pulled down six boards in the second quarter, helping to build a nine-point halftime lead for the Gamecocks. In the fourth quarter, as Arkansas was closing the lead to five points, she sank two foul shots to end a 15-0 run. Those points started a 7-0 run for South Carolina, helping them hold on for the win. 

Blackwell was also strong on offense, averaging 26.5 points and 15 rebounds in the two games Missouri played against ranked opponents.