No. 3 Gamecocks cruise to easy SEC road win over Auburn. What we observed
South Carolina women’s basketball kicked off its two-game road trip with an easy win on The Plains Thursday night.
Dawn Staley and the No. 3 Gamecocks beat Auburn 81-51 in Neville Arena. The win lifted South Carolina to 21-2 overall (7-1 SEC) and extended its win streak over Auburn to 17 games.
Everyone got involved on offense for South Carolina on Thursday night. All 11 Gamecocks scored at least one point in the win and two finished in double digits. The Gamecocks were led by a 20-point performance from Joyce Edwards.
Smaller lineup starts for Gamecocks but doesn’t last for long
Staley and the Gamecocks debuted a smaller, four-guard starting lineup last weekend against Vanderbilt. That group found success, as evidenced by the 103-74 win over the No. 5 Commodores, so the Gamecocks ran with it again versus Auburn.
South Carolina moved Madina Okot to the bench and started freshman guard Agot Makeer in her place. Makeer was on the floor alongside Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards.
The Gamecocks had to quickly abandon the lineup as Makeer exited the game after just four minutes of action. Makeer subbed out at the 6:18 mark of the first half and didn’t return to the bench until the second quarter. When Makeer came back to South Carolina’s bench she was walking slowly and appeared to be wearing something that looked like a heating pad wrapped around her waist/upper hip area.
Maddy McDaniel and Ayla McDowell helped fill the spot left vacant by Makeer’s absence for the remainder of the game.
Okot was in the first five for the Gamecocks after halftime. McDaniel was also one of the first five players out for South Carolina. She replaced Latson, who didn’t play at all in the second half.
After the game, Staley said Makeer was “in pain” and would be checked out when the Gamecocks return to Columbia and Latson was “not feeling well” so she was held out.
South Carolina gets it done on both sides of the ball
The Gamecocks put up a strong performance in all facets of the game.
South Carolina shot 52.7% as a team in the win. The Gamecocks started strong at a 68.8% clip in the first quarter before a shooting slump hit both teams in the second quarter. USC shot just 28.6% from the field in the second period but got back up to 69.2% in the third quarter.
On defense, South Carolina kept Auburn out of rhythm throughout the game.
The Tigers shot a near season-low 30% in the game. South Carolina forced Auburn to turn the ball over 15 times.
Auburn was able to hang with South Carolina on the glass for most of the game, but the Gamecocks ultimately won the rebound battle 40-30.
Game MVP: The bench guards
Sophomore guard Maddy “Mouse” McDaniel and Ayla McDowell gave the Gamecocks some valuable minutes off the bench against Auburn.
McDaniel logged 28 minutes and scored nine points (one shy of her career high). She also recorded two rebounds and six assists. McDowell finished with eight points and two rebounds in 24 minutes.
“We know what we’re getting from Ayla,” Staley said of McDowell. “Ayla is going to give 110%, she’s going to give multiple efforts, she’s going to knock down shots for her. For her, she just needed opportunity.”
Both McDaniel and McDowell helped South Carolina fill the production gaps with Makeer and Latson sidelined for most of the game.
“Maddy ran the show,” Staley said. “Maddy managed the game. Maddy got players who have not played together in practice, played in the game together at the end of that game, all on one accord.”
Honorable mention goes to Edwards, who finished with a team-high 20 points.
South Carolina WBB’s next four games
- Monday at Texas A&M, 8 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Feb. 5 vs. Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Feb. 8 vs. Tennessee, 3 p.m. (ABC)
- Feb. 14 at LSU, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
This story was originally published January 29, 2026 at 10:42 PM.
