The Gamecock women's basketball team improved to 4-0 on the season, turning in a season-high 95 points against the East Carolina Pirates on Sunday afternoon.
The 95-44 victory is the 42nd consecutive win for South Carolina, tying a program record.
The Gamecocks started hot, jumping out to an early 13-0 lead. Tough defense from the Gamecocks resulted in many Pirates turnovers, leading to easy buckets for the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks also showcased unselfish plays, assisting on 12 of its 18 made field goals in the first half.
Defense was the story of the first half, as the Gamecocks forcing 15 Pirate turnovers compared to only four for the Gamecocks.
Three-point shooting struggles continued for the Gamecocks despite a strong opening half from the team. The Gamecocks shot 18 percent from three-point range, making only two of seven attempts. The team is still without sophomore guard Tessa Johnson, who was shooting 50 percent from deep, before suffering an ankle injury that has kept her out of the past two games
The Gamecocks took a 34-point lead into halftime after closing the second quarter on an 11-4 run, with senior forward Sania Feagin's season-high eight first-half points leading the team in scoring.
The Pirates began the second half running a full-court press defensively in an attempt to break the Gamecocks' offensive rhythm. The team would hold the Gamecocks to a game-low of 19 points in a quarter, but would still be outscored by nine points in the quarter as a whole.
The Gamecocks, in addition to its stifling defense, dominated the offensive glass with 20 offensive rebounds, creating many second chance opportunities.
Junior forward Chloe Kitts caught fire in the second half, scoring ten of her fourteen points on 4-5 shooting from the field. In addition, freshman forward Joyce Edwards had her best scoring performance as a Gamecock with 12 points, joining Feagin, senior forward Bree Hall and sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley in double figures in points.
Starting out fast
Coming into Sunday, the Gamecocks had been plagued by slow starts.
Head coach Dawn Staley emphasized the importance of starting fast, and thanks to seven early points by Te-Hina Paopao and multiple Pirate turnovers, the Gamecocks outscored the Pirates 20-5 in the first quarter.
However, Staley said while defensively she felt that the Gamecocks had improved, the offense was, at times stagnant, and the lead should have been much larger.
"Sometimes you've got to put (the ball) on the floor and beat it," Staley said. "Go change the energy in the building."
Forcing the issue
Dominating defense made the difference in the game, with the Gamecocks forcing 27 turnovers with a season-high 19 steals.
Freshman guard Maddy McDaniel led the team with four steals, with junior and senior guards Raven Johnson and Bree Hall having three steals. Defense turned into offense as the Gamecocks had 40 points off turnovers compared to only 2 for the Pirates.
The physicality of the team was also on full display, blocking five shots. Perimeter defense was also a highlight. The Gamecocks only allowed one three-pointer on five Pirate attempts.
Strength in numbers
The depth of the Gamecocks was on full display with five players in double figures and every player scoring at least once.
Without Kamilla Cardoso, who is now with the WNBA's Chicago Sky, the offense has had to make many adjustments and in turn shifted players into new roles.
Despite the large gap on the scoreboard, Staley said it is a perfect time to assess where the team is.
"I'm only looking at habits," Staley said. "Obviously we're gonna win the game, so we're looking at — we got Clemson on Wednesday, we got UCLA after that — who can actually do what we need to do if the game is tight. They know we're evaluating from that standpoint because that's what we talk about."
Staley said everyone knows the ropes, highlighting that the offense does not revolve around one person and speaking to the amount of talent on the team.
"If you're playing well, we're gonna probably play you extended minutes," Staley said. "If you're not, we got to get somebody else in."
What's next
The Gamecocks will travel to Clemson, South Carolina to face its in-state rival, the Tigers. The game is Wednesday, Nov. 20, and tip-off is set for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.