No. 3 Gamecocks Host No. 17 Ole Miss Sunday

Gameday Information
Doors Open: 10:30 a.m. | 10 a.m. for Fast Break Pass | 10:05 a.m. for Chalk Talk presented by Atkins Law
Halftime: Sainted Trap Choir

South Carolina Gamecocks
Head Coach: Dawn Staley
Top Scorer: Joyce Edwards (20.1)
Top Rebounder: Madina Okot (10.7)

Ole Miss Rebels
Head Coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Top Scorer: Cotie McMahon (20.7)
Top Rebounder: Christeen Iwuala (8.6)

Gamecock Notables

• The Gamecocks continue to dominate the paint, outscoring opponents by 24.0 points per game in that space, including a +16.3 margin against SEC opponents and a +14.0 edge against ranked teams.

• South Carolina boasts two of the most sure-handed point guards in the nation with Maddy McDaniel leading the nation with a 5.50 assist-to-turnover ratio and Raven Johnson ranking sixth with a 3.33 mark. As a team, the Gamecocks are 12th in the country at 1.36.

• The Gamecocks lead the SEC in field goal percentage (.478) and field goal percentage defense (.361) in league play.

• National player of the year candidate Joyce Edwards is among the SEC’s best on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she is fourth in the league in scoring (20.1 ppg) and third in field goal percentage (.601). Her 6.25 rebounds per game are 10th in the league, and that number jumps to 6.62 per SEC outing. Defensively, she is 11th in blocks per game (1.11) and 12th in steals per game (1.93).

• Defensive player of the year candidate Raven Johnson is second in the nation in defensive impact, per Synergy, with her presence lowering the Gamecocks’ points allowed by an SEC-best 10.9 points per 100 possessions. She is fifth in the country in total player impact with +18.6 net points per 100 possessions.

• Senior center Madina Okot is fourth in the country with 17 double-doubles, including her current stretch of four straight since returning to the starting lineup. In her last three games – all against ranked opponents – she averaged 12.7 points and 16.3 rebounds while also adding 2.3 blocks per outing. On the season, her SEC-best 10.67 rebounds per game rank 13th in the nation as does her .594 field goal percentage.

• South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the country in 3-point percentage (.377), led by the SEC’s top percentage shooter in Tessa Johnson. Her 45.8 percent outside shooting for the season includes a 48.1 percent mark in 10 games against ranked opponents. She averages 2.59 made 3s for the season, including 2.6 against ranked teams.

• Senior Ta’Niya Latson’s efficiency is at career-high levels this season. Her .494 field goal percentage ranks seventh in the SEC, and her .533 effective field goal percentage is a career high by nearly four percent as well. According to Her Hoop Stats, her 1.03 points per possession and 1.16 points per scoring attempt are also career-best numbers.

By the Numbers
16 – Joyce Edwards’ 16 20-point games this season are the 10th-most in a season in program history.

56.0 – The Gamecocks have allowed just 56.0 points per game over the last five outings, including three games against ranked opponents.

83.3 – South Carolina averages 83.3 points per home game against SEC opponents this season.

The Ole Miss Series
The Gamecocks lead the all-time series with Ole Miss 32-17, including a 22-2 mark in the Dawn Staley era (starting 2008-09) after winning the last 20 meetings.

The two teams last met on Feb. 27, 2025, in Oxford with the Gamecocks claiming a 75-59 victory behind 52.0 percent shooting in the second half. The forwards did the most damage with Chloe Kitts posting a triple double, Sania Feagin pouring in 22 points and Joyce Edwards netting 10.

Home Sweet Home
The Gamecocks are 560-168 (.769) in home games (some records prior to 1976-77 did not include location of games). Current head coach Dawn Staley is 248-35 at home for a program-best .876 winning percentage.

Playing in its 24th season at Colonial Life Arena, South Carolina boasts a 311-68 (.821) record in the building, including four undefeated seasons since 2013-14. Staley’s share of that record is 245-35 (.875).

In SEC action, South Carolina is 163-89 (.647) at home with Staley posting a 119-22 (.844) mark

Ranking Review
South Carolina is currently ranked No. 3 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today/WBCA Coaches’ Poll.

It marks the Gamecocks’ 132nd consecutive entry in the AP top 10, beginning with the 2019-20 preseason poll. It is the longest active streak and the eighth longest in the history of that poll (7th is 137, Baylor). Their 263 straight appearances in the AP Poll, dating back to Dec. 10, 2012, mark the second-longest active streak in the nation and is the sixth longest all-time (5th, Duke/Stanford, 312).

In the USA Today/WBCA Coaches’ Poll, South Carolina has been in the top 10 since claiming the No. 10 spot in the 2019-20 preseason poll.

Block Party
The Gamecocks have been a premier shot blocking program since their first national championship in 2017. They ranked in the top 15 in blocks per game that season and have only climbed higher in the eight subsequent seasons, including four years leading the nation in the stat and twice coming in second. Beyond the number of blocks, their block percentage has led the nation three seasons.

This season, South Carolina is fifth in the nation with 6.1 blocks per game, including 4.6 against ranked foes and an SEC-best 5.85 per league game. The Gamecocks have blocked 15.1 percent of opponents’ 2-point attempts, which ranks sixth in the nation, per Her Hoop Stats.

Madina Okot tops the individual list with 1.59 blocks per game to rank fifth in the SEC, which includes 1.69 per league game (5th). Joyce Edwards is next at 1.11 per game (11th) on the season. Guards have added 2.25 blocks per game to the average.