Fans at Colonial Life Arena got their first look at the No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team on Monday night in a 126-42 exhibition victory against Clayton State.
The matchup between the Gamecocks and Lakers was the first ever between the two programs.
South Carolina controlled the game from the opening tipoff until the final buzzer, having never trailed at any point in the game.
Sophomore forward Chloe Kitts opened the game with a made 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game, only for the Lakers to respond with a 2-pointer of their own. But after that basket, the Gamecocks would score the next 10 points through a run that extended South Carolina's lead to 17-5 by the game's first timeout.
The Gamecocks continued adding to its lead as the first quarter went along, as it carried a 28-9 lead into the second period.
Sophomore guard Tessa Johnson's scoring ability would come alive midway through the second quarter. Johnson scored eight straight points for the Gamecocks after starting the game 0-4 from the field. The Gamecocks would close the first half on a seven-point run, leading the game 62-21.
“I just kept shooting,” Johnson said. “And then, I finally got the lid off.”
Head coach Dawn Staley told Johnson she was still taking good shots, despite her early struggles, and that good shots would eventually find their way in the basket.
“I’ve given her a nickname,” Staley said. “Three-ssa, so when she was going through the slump, I said, 'She's back to Tessa' … So that kind of made her smile a little bit, and sometimes you just have to break whatever is going through their mind in any given moment.”
The Gamecocks would keep its high-scoring offense up in the second half, out-scoring the Lakers 31 to 11 in the third quarter and 32 to 10 in the fourth. The first quarter was the only quarter of the game in which South Carolina did not score at least 30 points.
Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who led a scoring barrage in the final quarter of action, would end the game and cap off her 21-point second-half performance by leading the Gamecocks in points.
Joyce Edwards shows flashes of potential
The opening half of the game highlighted freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who led the Gamecocks in scoring with 12 points on a perfect 5-5 from the field and 2-3 from the free throw line at the halftime break.
Edwards finished the game with 20 points and led the Gamecocks in rebounds (11) and assists (six). Tonight’s line gives Edwards a double-double in both exhibition games this season.
Edwards is a player that can play at any position on the floor, Staley said.
“She’s not a player that should blend in with others,” Staley said. “She’s a player that is a big playmaker; she's a small playmaker; she’s someone that’s super versatile … We put her at point out there in the fourth quarter.”
Staley said she challenges Edwards every day.
And every day Edwards takes on that challenge, Johnson said.
“She’s the most competitive person,” Johnson said. “And she brings that competitiveness out of the rest of us.”
The word “limitless” comes as an emphasis in Staley’s perception of Edwards, Edwards said.
“She has confidence in me,” Edwards said. “She pushes me to be the best, be position-less, not limit myself … I feel like she has me playing multiple positions in practice trying to get everything out of me, which I really appreciate.”
Defense controls the pace
South Carolina's defense controlled the pace in the game and forced Clayton State to turn the ball over 30 times. Six Gamecocks recorded a steal in the game, with Fulwiley’s seven leading the team to a total of 20 in the contest.
Staley said South Carolina's defense has areas it can improve, despite the high number of steals it accumulated.
“I thought our weak side got sucked in a little bit too much and they kicked out for open threes,” Staley said. “I thought we got turned around in transition where we were playing, I think Chloe and Joyce on the perimeter, and they’re getting back in transition (defense) in the middle of the floor where they’re used to guarding their bigs and they got wide open shots on the outside.”
Edwards said defense is the one area of the game that a player can control and is something players can always get better at.
“I feel like protecting the ball screens could’ve been a little better at the beginning of the game,” Edwards said.
Gamecocks showcase depth
Six players scored in double figures for the Gamecocks, and each player that appeared in the game scored at least 6 points.
The Gamecocks played ten players in its exhibition against Clayton State. None of them played fewer than 12 minutes.
Any player can score 30 points on a given night, Staley said.
“I like that you’re gonna have to plan for our entire roster,” Staley said. “You’re gonna have to say something about 13 players. It’s hard. It’s hard to prepare for 13 players … Some nights people have it going on, but most nights you’re gonna see it all like it is now, where you get kind of even minutes and even stat lines, so it’s pretty cool. I hope we can hold onto that.”
What’s next?
The Gamecocks will officially open its season on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nevada against the Michigan Wolverines as part of the 2024 Naismith Hall of Fame Series. The game will be broadcasted live on TNT.