No. 1 Gamecocks blow out Texas A&M on the road. How it happened
No. 1 South Carolina routed Texas A&M 99-64 in College Station on Sunday evening to remain the only perfect team in all of college basketball.
The Gamecocks (17-0, 5-0 SEC) employed their usual starting lineup against the Aggies: Te-Hina Paopao, Raven Johnson, Bree Hall, Chloe Kitts and Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso recorded her 10th double-double of the season (17 points and 13 rebounds). She was one of five USC players to score at least 10 points, joined by Paopao (10), Kitts (also with a double-double on 13 points and 10 rebounds), MiLaysia Fulwiley (21) and Sania Feagin (15).
“Our depth is getting more and more experienced and they’re getting better,” coach Dawn Staley said on the SEC Network broadcast after the game. “They are finding their superpowers.”
The Aggies played without starting forward and former SEC All-Freshman Janiah Barker, who was in concussion protocol. South Carolina freshman Tessa Johnson played four minutes before leaving the game after rolling her left ankle. She spent much of the contest on the bench in sweats with a boot on her left foot.
USC will next travel to Baton Rouge, where it will take on reigning national champion LSU at 8 p.m. Thursday on ESPN.
Dominant on both ends of the court
South Carolina entered Sunday’s contest with the No. 4 offense in the nation, averaging 90.2 points per game. Texas A&M entered the game with the No. 4 scoring defense in the country, limiting opponents to 51.5 points per game.
But the Gamecocks’ offense and No. 3 scoring defense (allowing 51.4 points per game) overpowered the Aggies from tip-off onward. USC started the game on a 15-0 run — its largest opening run of the season by nine points.
South Carolina shot 71.4% from the field in the first half while limiting Texas A&M to 20%. The Aggies made two of 19 shots (10.5%) in the first quarter.
Sharing the basketball
Heading into Sunday, the Gamecocks averaged 19.7 assists per game, which ranked ninth in the country. They racked up 12 in the first half alone against the Aggies.
Seven of nine South Carolina players who played in the first half assisted on at least one basket. Paopao led with three, followed by Kitts, Hall and Raven Johnson with two each, and Ashlyn Watkins, Tessa Johnson and Fulwiley with one apiece.
USC ended the game with 24 assists.
Bench buckets
USC’s bench ranked fourth in the nation at 34.4 points per game heading into Sunday. The Gamecocks had 35 bench points after three quarters against the Aggies and ended the game with 45.
Fulwiley and Sania Feagin led the second unit with 21 and 15 points, respectively. It marked a career-high for Fulwiley and tied a career-high for Feagin, who also sank her first three of the season during the game.
“She was confident,” Staley said of Fulwiley. “When a player is confident some magical things can happen.”
“I am so very proud of Feagin,” Staley said. “This is her third year. Now she’s finally starting to get minutes, and it’s a long time coming. But she’s put in the work, and she’s making me play her.”
Next four South Carolina women’s basketball games
- Thursday: at LSU, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
- Jan. 28: vs. Vanderbilt, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Feb. 1: at Auburn, 8 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Feb. 4: vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m. (ESPN 2)
This story was originally published January 21, 2024 at 6:53 PM.
