Women's Basketball . March 6, 2026

Gamecocks Open SEC Tournament Title Defense with 87-64 Win over Kentucky

Game #1

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 21 points, Madina Okot added 12 points and 13 rebounds and No. 3 South Carolina routed 17th-ranked Kentucky 87-64 in the first of four Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinal games Friday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Tessa Johnson added 15 points and Ta’Niya Latson 12 for the top-seeded Gamecocks, who raced to a 17-point halftime lead and never let up.

South Carolina (30-2) looked laser focused as it began its quest for a fourth straight SEC Tournament title and 10th in the past 12 seasons under coach Dawn Staley, shooting 53% from the field, forcing 19 turnovers and outscoring Kentucky 46-24 in the paint.

Amelia Hassett had 15 points and Clara Strack scored 13 to lead Kentucky (23-10).

The Gamecocks will play Saturday against the winner of the game between No. 6 LSU and No. 7 Oklahoma.

Kentucky, the ninth seed, was playing its third game in three days following a 94-64 win over Arkansas and a 76-61 victory over Georgia with Strack combining for 53 points and 21 rebounds.

Whether or not fatigue played a factor, the Wildcats simply looked a step behind the fresh Gamecocks all game.

South Carolina raced out to a 44-27 lead at the half, using a big height advantage to dominate the paint 20-12 and a stifling defense to force 10 turnovers. Tessa Johnson provided the early spark with 12 points in the first half and Okot had a double-double before the break.

South Carolina kept its foot on the gas in the second half, using a 13-6 run to build a 24-point lead and was never threatened again.

The big lead allowed Staley to rest her starters for the majority of the second half to keep them fresh for Saturday.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

South Carolina advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the sixth-straight season and the 12th time in the Dawn Staley era.
Joyce Edwards posted her 19th 20-point outing of the season with her 21 points giving her 636 on the season, which ranks eighth in program single-season history and is the most ever by a Gamecock sophomore.
Madina Okot’s eighth-consecutive double-double moved her into a tie for fourth place in program history. She has 21 double-doubles on the season, including eight against ranked opponents.
Tessa Johnson had an efficient night with 15 points on 50.0 percent shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. She scored 10 of those points on a person 10-0 run late in the first half that put the Gamecocks up by 19.
Ta’Niya Latson joined the other three Gamecocks in double figures, shooting 3-of-6 from the field for 11 points to go with her team-high six assists.