3 observations from South Carolina WBB’s 84-point exhibition win over Clayton State
South Carolina women’s basketball dominated Clayton State, 126-42, on Monday night in a preseason exhibition at Colonial Life Arena.
Sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley and freshman Joyce Edwards led the way for the No. 1 Gamecocks. Fulwiley scored 21, while Edwards posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, along with a game-high six assists. Sophomore Tessa Johnson had 15 points and senior Te-Hina Paopao added 13 points and five assists.
South Carolina opens its regular season next Monday, Nov. 4, against Michigan in Las Vegas.
Here are three observations from the exhibition win over Clayton State, a Division 2 school from Georgia:
Joyce Edwards dominates down low
Edwards made an immediate impact — similar to the first exhibition game — scoring on her first possession with a smooth spin move for a layup.
Although these have been her first two games against competition other than her teammates, she has performed as if she’s already found her footing on the court.
“I would say (I feel) pretty comfortable,” Edwards said. “I’m always nervous coming into the game, but I feel like my teammates and the coaching staff prepare me for like moments like this. I’m playing against the best players in the country every day in practice. It’s not that big of a deal, but I’m just trying to go out there and do my best.”
The Gamecocks threw it to Edwards down low often for easy layups, but she also came away with multiple offensive rebounds and put-backs. The Gamecocks scored 70 points in the paint.
The No. 2 recruit in ESPN’s Class of 2024 rankings, Edwards came off the bench to play 10 minutes in the first half, going 5-for-5 from the floor and grabbing three rebounds.
Edwards’ play was a good sign for a team looking for a dominant big this season. And USC’s play overall has opened the door for more versatility from the whole team.
“Collectively, I like what we’re bringing to the table,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “I like the fact that every single one of our bigs is different than the other, and I like that you’re going to have to plan for our entire roster. There’s gonna be 13 players that you’re gonna have to prepare for.”
Letting it fly
The Gamecocks fired early and often from beyond the arc, attempting 32 3-pointers (up from 11 in their last exhibition against Memphis) and knocking down 11.
Staley said it wasn’t by design. It was just the flow of the game, and USC just kept finding open 3-pointers in rhythm.
“We’ve developed that part of that skill set in our players — we don’t want them gun-shy,” Staley said. “We want them to shoot them, because they do a great job in practice shooting them. This is just like practice.”
Tessa Johnson and Hall led in attempts, with Johnson hitting 3-of-8 and Hall going 0-for-7. Paopao also shot 3- of-6 from distance. Fulwiley was the most efficient, shooting 4-of-7 from downtown.
Johnson missed her first three 3-point attempts before knocking down the next three tries. Staley, who likes to call Johnson “Three-ssa,” said her message was simple to get her back on track: Just keep shooting.
“You can always see it in the players, and sometimes you want to break that mode of thinking,” Staley said, referring to Johnson getting in her own head. “She was probably thinking she was sucking. And the shots were good shots. I told her not to complain about good shots; complain more when you take a bad shot. Good shots will eventually find their way in the basket.
“When she was going through the slump, I said: ‘You’re back to Tessa,’ ” Staley joked. “She’s not ‘Three-sa,’ because she wasn’t making any 3s. So, that kind of made her smile a little bit. Sometimes, you just have to break whatever’s going through their mind in any given moment. Humor is always a great way to do it.”
Smothering defense
South Carolina’s defensive intensity set the tone from tip, forcing 15 turnovers in the first half alone. Clayton State struggled to keep possession, often succumbing to shot clock violations and travels. The Lakers committed 30 turnovers total.
USC made it a focus to smother ball handlers and crowd passing lanes throughout the game. Five Gamecocks recorded at least two steals, with Fulwiley and Bree hall nabbing seven and four, respectively.
The Gamecocks’ defense led to 42 points from turnovers and 48 fast-break points.
Next four South Carolina WBB games
- Nov. 4: vs. Michigan in Las Vegas, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
- Nov. 10: vs. NC State in Charlotte, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
- Nov. 14: vs. Coppin State, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 17: vs. East Carolina, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 8:51 PM.
