How to watch, betting odds for South Carolina WBB vs. Southern in March Madness
Looking for its fourth national championship under coach Dawn Staley, No. 1 seed South Carolina women’s basketball opens up the NCAA Tournament on Saturday against No. 16 seed Southern. Whichever squad comes out ahead will face the winner of Clemson (8) and Southern Cal (9) on Monday.
Before tip-off, here are some things you need to know:
How to watch South Carolina vs. Southern in NCAA Tournament
When: Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m.
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: ABC
NCAA Tournament history: South Carolina holds an all-time 55-18 record in the NCAA Tournament (21 appearances) with a 47-10 record in Staley’s 13 March Madness trips. The Gamecocks have not lost in the tourney’s first round since 1991.
Point spread for the game
South Carolina is a 53.5-point favorite in the game against Southern, according to DraftKings.
About South Carolina
The Gamecocks — a 1-seed for the sixth-straight year — come into the NCAA Tournament with a 31-3 record but, notably, are coming off a 17-point loss to Texas in the SEC Tournament championship.
Following that defeat, USC’s second against Texas this season, Staley alluded to the fact that a grueling season, punctuated by a hard-fought win over LSU the night before, contributed to the struggle in Greenville.
“They were moving pretty fast, and we weren’t moving as quickly as they were,” Staley said postgame. “When you think about it, maybe there’s a little fatigue.”
The Gamecocks on Friday echoed their coach’s statement while noting that the loss to Texas has allowed them to refocus ahead of the tourney — ideally in the same way that South Carolina’s January loss to Oklahoma kickstarted a string of dominant victories.
“After we played Oklahoma, we got back up and were on a tear from there,” freshman guard Agot Makeer said. “So I think this is going to be super exciting.”
About Southern
Southern, an HBCU, is making its second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, looking to reach the Round of 32 for the first time in program history.
The Jaguars went 19-13 this season, winning their second-straight SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) Tournament Championship and competing once again in the First Four. Inside Colonial Life Arena on Thursday night, Southern knocked off Samford for the chance to play South Carolina. Tied heading into the fourth quarter, the Jaguars outscored Samford by a dozen in the final period to notch the win.
The victory was nearly déjà vu from a year ago, when Southern beat UC San Diego by 12 in the First Four, advancing to the Round of 64 to play 1-seed UCLA and eventually losing by 38.
The Jaguars are led by head coach Carlos Funchess, who’s been at Southern for 20 years and served as the head coach since 2018-19. They’ve made the NCAA Tournament eight times in the past two decades, including four times under Funchess.
Players to watch: Gamecocks and Jaguars
South Carolina
Raven Johnson, G: The leader of this South Carolina team, this weekend could bring with it mixed emotions for Johnson. While on a quest to claim her second national title, she will also play her final game inside Colonial Life Arena — closing another chapter in the career of one of Staley’s best guards. This season, Johnson has averaged 10.5 points and 5.4 assists per game but has proven she can score if needed. Against LSU in the SEC Tournament, she dropped a career-high 26 points.
Joyce Edwards, F: The sophomore from Camden is playing in her second NCAA Tournament, but her first as a starter. With the season-ending injuries to front-court veterans Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts, much has been required of Edwards this season ... and she’s stepped up. The Gamecocks’ forward is leading the team in scoring, averaging nearly 20 points a game while also pulling down over six boards each night out.
Southern
Demya Porter, F: For better or worse, Southern does not have a do-everything, star player. The Jaguars are a fairy balanced team that features five different players averaging between 7 and 10 points per game. Their leading scorer, though, is Porter, the 6-foot-1 sophomore forward who averages nearly 10 points a game while providing rim protection for Southern on defense. Porter is likely going to be responsible for slowing down the Gamecocks’ front court, which — as many have learned this year — is quite a tall task.
Jaylia Reed, G: If Southern has any chance of sticking around and giving South Carolina a scare, it’s going to have to knock down a lot of 3-pointers — which is possible considering it hits nearly a third of its attempts. If that happens, the charge will likely come from Reed, who leads the Jaguars in 3-point percentage (36%). It should be noted that Reed is the best free-throw shooter (76%) on a team that really struggles from the charity stripe (60%).
