Gamecocks Host Late Night Top-10 Matchup Thursday – University of South Carolina Athletics

On By Littum

Gamecock Notables

  • Tonight’s game marks the Gamecocks’ second appearance in the ACC/SEC Challenge. In the inaugural event last season, South Carolina topped #24 North Carolina 65-58 in Chapel Hill (Nov 30, 2023).

  • South Carolina plays its fourth ranked opponent of the season, and the Gamecocks’ schedule includes 14 games against teams ranked this week or at the time of the game. Seven of those games are against non-conference foes.

  • The Gamecock bench is known for more than just its scoring (see below). The group also accounts for 20.4 rebounds per game, which is 47.8 percent of the team’s total. Two of the team’s top three rebounders come off the bench – Ashlyn Watkins (6.3) and Joyce Edwards (6.1). The duo is also the team’s top two in steals and among the top three in blocks.

  • Since returning from injury at Clemson, sophomore Tessa Johnson has been on an offensive tear, leading the team with 10.5 points per game. game on 50.0 percent shooting that includes 57.1 percent accuracy from 3-point range in that stretch. In the past three games, including two against ranked opponents, she averaged 11.3 points.

  • Joyce Edwards earned SEC co-Freshman of the Week honors this week after leading the team with 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off last weekend. The forward built up to the moment, which included her first career double-double (vs. #15/15 Iowa State), averaging 10.0 points over the last five games on 50.0 percent shooting in that stretch. Her 3.13 offensive rebounds per game for 12th of the season in the SEC.

  • Freshman Maddy McDaniel is second in the nation with a 7.00 assist-to-turnover ratio that includes four games with at least four assists and three turnover-free games.

  • Senior Te-Hina Paopao remains the Gamecocks’ leading scorer at 12.0 points per game. game and is 15th in the SEC with 49.4 percent shooting. She also continues to show her value and ability beyond scoring. She applied full-court defensive pressure in the Gamecocks’ dominance of #15/15 Iowa State, and her 2.9 assists per game. match is number two on the team.

  • Sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley shook off a pair of tough shooting games to score 14 points on 45.5 percent shooting against Purdue (Nov. 30)

By the numbers
3 – Tonight is just the Gamecocks’ third home game of the season, making it the most recent third home game since the 2015-16 season.

40.6 – South Carolina’s bench is second in the nation at 40.6 points per game. match, which equates to 50.8 percent of the total offense.

.458 – The Gamecocks are sixth in the nation with a .458 offensive rebounding percentage.

The Duke series
The Gamecocks are 7-2 all-time against Duke, including a 6-1 mark in the Dawn Staley era (beginning in 2008-09).

South Carolina has won the last four meetings overall and the last four in which both teams have been nationally ranked. The two teams have met three times at Colonial Life Arena with all three going to the Gamecocks.

In last season’s meeting in Durham (Dec. 3), South Carolina used a dominant second and fourth quarter to rally for a 77-61 victory. The Blue Devils tied the game at 55-55 with 7:43 left before a 22-6 run closed the game.

Home Sweet Home
The Gamecocks are 532-166 (.761) in home games (some records prior to 1976-77 did not include location games). Current head coach Dawn Staley is 220-34 at home for a program-best .866 winning percentage.

South Carolina currently has a program-record 61 game hitting streak that began on December 17, 2020.

South Carolina, playing in its 22nd season at Colonial Life Arena, boasts a 282-67 (.808) record in the building, including four undefeated seasons since 2013-14. Staley’s share of that record is 217-34 (.864).

Paint production
South Carolina has long dominated the paint, and this season’s numbers have maintained that tradition.

Shooting 55.3 percent of their points in the paint, the Gamecocks are outscoring opponents in that area 44.3 to 21.2 (+23.0) for the season, including by +13.3 points per possession. match against ranked opponents (36.7-23.3). They are shooting 51.2 percent in the paint compared to opponents’ 37.9 percent accuracy in space.

Last season, South Carolina averaged 45.6 points in the paint to account for 53.3 percent of its offense.

The full-wiley
The generational talent that is sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley wowed fans last season with her creativity and athleticism. This season, the extremely coachable guard is learning the art of steadying his game between the “wow” moments.

Fulwiley earned SEC All-Freshman honors last season and was the SEC Tournament MVP after a phenomenal title game that saw her score a career-high 24 points against #8/5 LSU. She finished the season second on the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game. game on 43.8 percent shooting.

This season, Fulwiley is third on the team in scoring with 10.8 points per game. game while shooting 42.5 percent. Her four double-figure scoring games are second on the team.