South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley and her team had a less stressful week in the season’s second week. The Gamecocks went 2-0 with two blowouts against overmatched teams. Here is a brief overview of those games and then what’s coming next for the Gamecocks.
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South Carolina Gamecocks crush Coppin State
Following two tough games against Michigan and NC State in neutral site contests, the Gamecocks had their home opener against Coppin State and had their first offensive explosion of the year. Despite not having their best day on defense, South Carolina won big behind five double-digit scoring efforts.
Chloe Kitts had another big day with 19 points and 10 rebounds. MiLaysia Fulwiley led all scorers with 23 points. Maryam Dauda nearly had a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Carolina also more than doubled up Coppin State on the glass, 51-23.
After the game, Coach Staley lamented her team’s defense and overall discipline. She was, though, pleased with the Gamecocks’ effort and ability to overcome some slow starts.
Result: South Carolina won 92-60
South Carolina Gamecocks made East Carolina Pirates walk the plank
If the Coppin State matchup was a beatdown, what came next was a splattering. South Carolina beat East Carolina by over 50 points to capture their 61st home victory in a row.
The Gamecocks had some trouble with forward Amiya Joiner (who went off for 25 points and 10 rebounds) but controlled virtually every other aspect of the game. Eight different Gamecocks scored at least seven points, and the defense forced a ridiculous 27 turnovers.
Even with the big win, Coach Staley wasn’t happy with how many missed shots there were in the paint. She also hasn’t loved what she’s gotten from most of her starters this season, but she isn’t worried moving forward.
Result: South Carolina won 95-44
[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Wofford football game]
What’s coming this week for South Carolina women’s basketball
Over the next week, South Carolina has two matchups against Power Conference opponents. Both games against the Clemson Tigers and UCLA Bruins will be on the road.
The Palmetto State’s biggest women’s basketball rivalry continues on Wednesday. The Gamecocks will travel to the Upstate to take on the Tigers in Littlejohn Coliseum. The 5:00 p.m. contest will be aired on ESPN2 and streamed on the ESPN app.
Then, a much longer road trip (plane trip?) to Los Angeles is on Sunday. The Gamecocks and UCLA Bruins will duke it out in a top-5 matchup on FS1 and the Fox Sports app. Tip-off is at 4:00 p.m.
