After an 11-day hiatus, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks took the floor for one last non-conference game against her former school, Temple University, winning 103-41.
After last season's 78-71 victory over Temple, the Gamecocks improved to 5-0 all-time against the Owls. Temple returned with the 2020-21 American Athletic Co-Preseason Player of the Year, Mia Davis, who scored 14 points in their game against South Carolina last season.
Gamecock sophomore forward Laeticia Amihere picked up her first career start this game.
Temple began the game with a 5-4 lead. Immediately after, a 7-0 Gamecock run gave South Carolina control for the remainder of the game.
Sophomore guard Zia Cooke led South Carolina during the first quarter, scoring 12 of her 23 total game points as well as her 500th point in her young career.
“I kinda figured it was going to be a pretty good night, just based off the week that I had. I had a pretty good week in practice,” Cooke said.
South Carolina finished the first half 19 points ahead, which included a three-minute, 20 second long scoreless drought for the Owls. The Gamecocks led 44-25 at the half.
The Owls struggled with turnovers — they had 18 in comparison to the Gamecocks' six.
“You see the turnovers that we did have, I thought that we just didn’t try to put too much mustard on the hot dog,” Staley said postgame.
The Gamecocks began the second half on a 7-0 run and continued to dominate the game. They ended the third quarter up by 39 and finished the game with a 62 point victory.
Sophomore forward Aliyah Boston had a near double-double, scoring 14 points and picking up nine rebounds. Freshman guard Eniya Russell and junior forward Victaria Saxton both had double-digit points off the bench.
South Carolina will begin conference play on New Year's Eve against Ole Miss.