No. 1 South Carolina looks right at home in dominant win over Morgan State
After a tough road trip to the Triangle area of North Carolina last week, the No. 1 Gamecocks returned home and looked more like themselves again en route to another dominant victory.
South Carolina defeated Morgan State 104-38 Wednesday night at Colonial Life Arena in the the first of two December home games for Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks (the next being versus Presbyterian on Dec. 16). They notched their fifth 100-plus-point game of the season (the previous four coming against then-No. 10 Notre Dame, then-No. 14 Maryland, Clemson and Mississippi Valley State).
Staley employed a different starting lineup versus the Bears, with Sakima Walker at center (in place of Kamilla Cardoso) and freshman guard Tessa Johnson (over sophomore Raven Johnson). Cardoso and Raven Johnson didn’t start because they broke a team rule, Staley said, adding that both players “took it on the chin” and wouldn’t be left out of the starting five for long. Forward Chloe Kitts as well as guards Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall started, as per usual. USC’s typical starting five played the opening minutes of the third quarter together.
Six Gamecocks finished with double digit points. Tessa Johnson led all players with 16, followed by Fulwiley with 14, Paopao and Raven Johnson each with 12 and Cardoso and Sania Feagin with 10 each.
South Carolina (8-0) will play its next game in Connecticut at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase versus No. 11 Utah on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Tessa Johnson makes the most of her first start
Freshman Tessa Johnson made her first career start Wednesday night.
She played 13 minutes in the first half, scoring seven points and shooting 3-of-5 from the field (including one 3-pointer). She ended the night with game-high 16 points (7-of-9 from the field, including two 3s). Perhaps her most exciting play of the game came halfway through the fourth quarter, when she stole the ball and marched down court for a fast-break layup.
“Tessa can play,” Staley said. “She really (has) a high IQ. I thought just her injury put her back a little bit. Now she’s fully healthy, (and) we’re able to substitute a little bit more.
“... She’s good defensively. She’s great. As far as being able to create all shots, she’s a floor spacer. So we just got to get her (to) string together some healthy games.”
Cardoso began 3-of-3 from the field off the bench. She played 10 minutes in the first half, during which she grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots. Raven Johnson also started 3-of-3. She played 11 minutes in the first half, during which she assisted on two shots, snagged a steal and turned the ball over once.
Turnover bug followed USC home
Before their road trip to North Carolina last week, the Gamecocks averaged 11.8 turnovers per game.
They had 20 at Duke (14 in the first half), and 13 at UNC. On Wednesday versus Morgan State, USC turned the ball over 10 times in the first half. Kitts had four of them on jump balls and dropped passes.
Luckily for South Carolina, those 10 turnovers only yielded seven Morgan State points. The Gamecocks cleaned things up in the second half, giving up just two possessions in the third quarter and three in the fourth.
Superb 3-point shooting
South Carolina continued its perimeter shooting success Wednesday night.
The Gamecocks shot 56.3% (9-of-16) beyond the arc against the Bears. That number far exceeds their average last week against Duke and North Carolina (57.7%) as well as their season average of 37.9% that ranks second in the SEC and 25th in the country.
USC made nine 3s, including three straight in the third quarter. Hall led the team with three 3s, followed by Paopao, Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson each with two.
Next four South Carolina WBB games
- Dec. 10: vs. Utah (in Connecticut), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Dec. 16: vs. Presbyterian, 1 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Dec. 19: at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)
- Dec. 30: at East Carolina, 12 p.m. (ESPN 2)
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 8:43 PM.
