Women's Basketball . February 25, 2024

No. 1 South Carolina has 6 in double figures to rout Kentucky 103-55

Game #1

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Bree Hall scored 18 points, MiLaysia Fulwiley added 17 off the bench and top-ranked South Carolina beat Kentucky 103-55 on Sunday to clinch its third consecutive outright Southeastern Conference regular-season championship and eighth in 11 years.

With 6-foot-7 star center Kamilla Cardoso sitting out a second consecutive game, the Gamecocks (27-0, 14-0) widened a 20-point halftime cushion to 74-43 after three quarters behind 12-of-16 shooting on the way to 64% accuracy overall. Te-Hina Paopao made all three 3-point attempts among four makes overall in the quarter after missing her only shot before halftime.

Sania Feagin (16 points) took charge in the fourth to maintain South Carolina’s roll as it swept Kentucky for its fourth straight series win and 10th of the past 11 meetings. The Gamecocks routed Alabama 72-44 on Thursday to clinch a share of the SEC title and give coach Dawn Staley her 600th career victory.

Ashlyn Watkins had 13 points and Chloe Kitts 10 for the Gamecocks, who rang up their sixth 100-point outing this season and first in SEC play.

Ajae Petty had 16 points and Sania Tyler 15 for the Wildcats (11-17, 5-9), who shot just 34% after winning their past two games.

If you run with @HollywoodRaven, she is gonna find you!@Ashlyn2W pic.twitter.com/Y9dM5ufwYG

— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 25, 2024

Notables

With the 103-55 win, South Carolina marked its sixth game of the season with 100 points or more, setting the new program record, in addition to passing the century mark in an SEC regular season game for just the fifth time (first since Jan. 18, 2021, vs. Arkansas).
The Gamecocks finished with 30 assists on 38 shots, with seven players dishing out three or more.
All nine players who entered the game scored at least four points, with six finishing in double-figures.
South Carolina finished 19-of-21 from the free throw line, marking the highest percentage of the season at 90.5 percent.
The Gamecocks continue to be a second-half team, shooting 74.2 percent (23-of-31) for 61 points in the final 20 minutes.
Bree Hall led the team in scoring for the fourth time this season, notching 18 points with half coming in the final quarter.
Sania Feagin posted career highs with 16 points and five blocks. Ten of her points came in the fourth period during a 21-6 run by the Gamecocks.
MiLaysia Fulwiley set a new career high at the free throw line, going a perfect 12-of-12 to end with 17 points for her 17th game in double-figures this season. It marked the second-best perfect free throw day in program history, behind just A’ja Wilson’s 14-of-14 performance against Hampton on Nov. 20, 2016.
Te-Hina Paopao sank three 3s in a row in under a minute in the third quarter for nine of her 11 points.
Ashlyn Watkins had her 14th game in double-figure points, scoring seven of her 13 in the first quarter alone and finishing a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.
Chloe Kitts grabbed her fourth career double-double, ending with 10 points and an SEC career-high 12 rebounds.