No. 2 South Carolina WBB lights up the scoreboard in big win over Winthrop
The No. 2 South Carolina women’s basketball team was firing on all cylinders Wednesday night.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks breezed to an easy 106-56 win over Winthrop in Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina would’ve led the game from wire to wire had it not been for the first eight seconds of the game, when Winthrop had a 2-0 lead.
South Carolina improves to 5-0 and Winthrop drops to 2-3.
The Gamecocks were led by the three-headed offensive monster of Ta’Niya Latson, Madina Okot and Joyce Edwards in the win. All finished with more than 20 points.
“We know we got two top 10 matchups coming up,” Latson said. “So we know we have to put the ball in the hoop, of course. And sharing the ball is something that coach harps on. So I think we executed that well today.”
Historic night on offense
South Carolina set a few new program records against Winthrop. The Gamecocks shot 64.2% from the field, which is just shy of a new single-game record. A 71.7% shooting night against Georgia Southern in 1987 remains the record.
Many of those shots led to Latson’s 24 points, Okot’s 23 points and Edwards’ 22 points, which marks the second time she’s scored at least 20 points this season. The three were a combined 27-for-36 (75%) from the field.
The last time South Carolina had three players score 20 or more points was against Savannah State in December 2014.
“I thought Ta’Niya got off to a quick start,” Staley said. “Just getting down the floor, making layups, and then she got the three going. Madina was cleaning up a lot of stuff and we were intentional about getting her the ball as well. Joyce is always going to be hovering around 20 points. I just like the fact that we were very efficient from those three players.”
The Gamecocks passed the century mark on the scoreboard for the second time this season and had four players finish with double-digit numbers in the scoring column.
Raven Johnson helping facilitate the offense
Staley’s veteran point guard Raven Johnson didn’t fill up the scoring column like some of her teammates did, but she still made an impact in the win.
Johnson finished with 10 assists against Winthrop.
It’s the second time this season Johnson has recorded double-digit assists in a game this season. Johnson has recorded 10 or more assists in three games during her career.
Johnson also recorded three points, four rebounds and a block in the game.
A look at the modified bench unit
Maddy McDaniel’s suspension leaves an already thin South Carolina team with just nine available players.
As such, the Gamecocks starters will have to play more minutes. In Wednesday’s game, Staley ran with a lineup that included Okot, Adhel Tac, Agot Makeer, Ayla McDowell and Maryam Dauda for a large chunk of the fourth quarter to give four starters a bit of rest in the blowout.
Eventually, Tessa Johnson replaced Okot to captain the bench unit for the final minute of the game.
Makeer led the Gamecocks with 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench. McDowell recorded seven points and four rebounds.
“I was really proud of our young players, who are giving it what they got,” Staley said. “Ayla is coming along. Ayla is doing the things, the intangible things. She just knows what we want, and she plays to that and I like that.”
South Carolina WBB’s next four games:
- Sunday: vs Queens, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Wednesday, Nov. 26: vs Duke in Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, 4:30 p.m. (truTV)
- Thursday, Nov. 27: vs No. 4 Texas or No. 3 UCLA in Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, 8 or 10:30 p.m. (truTV)
- Thursday, Dec. 4: at No. 21 Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 8:52 PM.
