The No. 1 South Carolina women's basketball team opened its repeat attempt with a 108-48 win over the No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech at Colonial Life Arena on Friday in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
The Gamecocks shot a red-hot 67.2% from the field, scoring 12 threes to blow past the Golden Eagles and win its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament game dating back to last season.
"When we hitting like that, we're a hard guard," head coach Dawn Staley said. "And defending the way we defend, hopefully we can carry that into Sunday and beyond."
South Carolina went on a 9-0 run midway through the first quarter behind 6 straight points from freshman forward Joyce Edwards. Sophomore guards MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointers later in the quarter to give the Gamecocks an 18-point lead. Senior forward Sania Feagin made a pair of free throws to give the Gamecocks a 33-12 lead to end the quarter.
The Gamecocks continued to shut down Tennessee Tech's offense in the second quarter, holding the Golden Eagles to 15 points in the quarter on 6-17 shooting. Junior guard Raven Johnson, who finished with 8 points, made two 3-pointers to give the Gamecocks a 56-22 lead late in the first half. South Carolina led by 33 points at halftime.
"I told the team before the game that we've got to lock in from the jump for 40 minutes because it's win or go home," senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said. "We've got to have that same mentality going into Sunday's game."
South Carolina went 7-10 (70%) from 3-point range in the first half. Edwards finished the half with 14 points and four rebounds, while junior forward Chloe Kitts and Tessa Johnson both added 8.
The offensive dominance continued for the the Gamecocks when it went on an 18-2 run in the third quarter. Fulwiley converted an and-one and Tessa Johnson made a 3-pointer. Redshirt freshman forward Adhel Tac saw some playing time in the third quarter, scoring 6 points.
"Adhel has been steadily getting better," Staley said. "A lot of times, you don't see it because she doesn't get a whole lot of playing time. But in practices, you see she's got a bright future. Hopefully that was the start of it."
The Golden Eagles' offense struggled to make shots in the fourth quarter, as it made just four shots over the final 10 minutes. Senior center Sakima Walker took advantage of her playing time in the quarter, scoring a season-high 6 points. Walker's performance helped the Gamecocks seal the 108-48 victory.
Gamecocks run past Tennessee Tech
South Carolina used a 12-19 (63.2%) shooting performance from 3-point range to build an sizable lead. The shooting was a welcome sign for the Gamecocks, as it made only 10 3-pointers total in its three games in the SEC Tournament before Friday's game.
"We haven't had that in a long time," Staley said. "I think that is going to be the thing that allows us to create some separation when it comes to points."
The Gamecocks held the Golden Eagles to 19 made shots from the field and shot 4-20 (20%) from the three. Senior forward Taris Thornton finished with 13 points, and graduate guard Peyton Carter added 12. The two players were the only Golden Eagles to score double-digits.
"We've just got to play solid defense and come out ready and just take it one game at a time," Paopao said.
Edwards leads the way
Edwards scored 22 points on 9-12 (75%) shooting on Friday for her fifth straight game with at least 20 points. Edwards also had five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Staley believes her preparation is what's led to her success.
"Joyce prepares herself extremely well for the situations," Staley said. "Whatever the situation calls for, Joyce is right there. She's able to make adjustments in real time."
Fulwiley finished with 15 points and five assists while Kitts added 10 points and six rebounds . Five Gamecocks made multiple 3-pointers in the contest, including Tessa Johnson and Paopao, who both made three each.
"We haven't been shooting the ball particularly well, especially in the SEC Tournament," Paopao said. "I'm very happy to see the ball go through the net for all our guards and everyone else. I'm just really excited, pumped to see those threes go in."
Home court advantage
South Carolina led the SEC in attendance for the third consecutive season with 12,227 fans per game. Today, South Carolina had 11,683 fans in attendance for the win against the Golden Eagles.
The Gamecocks secured the No. 1 seed for the fifth consecutive season and took advantage of its seeding in their first game. Feagin acknowledged the impact of the fans after the game.
"[It's] a great environment, the energy, the atmosphere," Feagin said. "Our FAMS, they love us."
What's next?
South Carolina will play the No. 9 seed Indiana on Sunday at Colonial Life Arena. At the time of this reporting, the tip-off time and television channel have yet to be announced.