Gamecocks Tip at Noon Thursday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 2/2 South Carolina closes out its pre-holiday break schedule with a noon tipoff against Charleston Southern Thursday at Colonial Life Arena.

Fan Information

• Single-game parking in lots immediately around Colonial Life Arena will be $20 per car as mandated by the University.
• All doors at Colonial Life Arena will open at 11 a.m. The Fast Break Pass entrance will open at 11:30 a.m.

Gamecock Notables

• South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks 14th in the country with just 12.1 turnovers per game – playing more ranked teams than any team in the country. The Gamecocks’ four turnovers against Purdue matched the Staley-era record for fewest in a game. The team is 19th in the nation with a 1.31 assist-to-turnover ratio.

• The Gamecocks have shot over 50.0 percent from the field six times this season, including each of the last three games. The recent effort included two games against ranked opponents, highlighted by a team-high 57.4 percent against #8/9 Duke (Dec. 5). The team’s 53.2 percent accuracy over the last three games includes four Gamecocks shooting at least 60.0 percent – Sania Feagin 80.0 (12-of-15), Joyce Edwards 64.7 (11-of-17), Bree Hall 62.5 (5-of-8) and Chloe Kitts 61.9 (13-of-21).

• South Carolina’s defense has allowed an opponent to reach 70 points just twice this season – at #5/6 UCLA (77) and #8/9 Duke (70).  Six teams have failed to reach 60 points. Since the loss at UCLA (Nov. 24), the Gamecocks have allowed just 54.2 points per game, compared to yielding 57.5 per game over the first six contests of the season.

• Senior Te-Hina Paopao leads the Gamecocks with 11.6 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting that includes 45.5 percent accuracy from 3-point range. This season, her offense has expanded beyond her outside accuracy. Paopao’s scoring includes 4.5 points per game from 3-point range, 4.5 per game from the paint and 2.6 from midrange.

• Junior Raven Johnson has come into form over the last three games, averaging 6.3 points on 46.7 percent shooting and handing out 4.3 assists per game. Her numbers prior to this stretch were 3.6 points per game on  21.6 percent shooting and 2.3 assists per game.

• Senior Sania Feagin’s last three games include a pair of double-digit scoring outings that have her third on the team with 9.7 points per game in that stretch. She has also handed out five assists and helped the defensive effort with three blocks and four steals. For the season, she is 11th in the SEC with 1.27 blocks per game.

By the Numbers
6.75 – Freshman Maddy McDaniel leads the nation with a 6.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.

15 – The Gamecocks’ 30-game schedule includes 15 games against teams nationally ranked this week or at the time of the game.

63 – South Carolina’s current 63-game home winning streak is the ninth longest in NCAA history.

The Charleston Southern Series
The Gamecocks are 8-0 all-time against the Buccaneers, including a 3-0 mark in the Dawn Staley era. All but the first of the eight games have been played in Columbia.

The most recent meeting was an 87-23 South Carolina victory on Dec. 18, 2022. Three current Gamecocks played in that game, led by Chloe Kitts’ 10-point, seven-rebound outing. Bree Hall and Ashlyn Watkins each added eight points to the offensive effort.

Quarter Breakdown
South Carolina‘s defense has held an opponent to single digits in a quarter eight times this season, including five against ranked teams. The Gamecocks have out-scored their opponent by 10 or more points in a quarter 14 times. The scoring differential is largest in the second quarter (+8.2).

Individually, two Gamecocks have scored double digits in a single quarter – Tessa Johnson (1) and Chloe Kitts (1).  The top single-quarter individual scoring this season is 10 points, which has happened twice times – Chloe Kitts in 1st quarter vs. Coppin State (11/14), Tessa Johnson in 3rd quarter vs. Purdue (11/30).

Ashlyn SWAT-kins
The first Gamecock to dunk in a game, Ashlyn Watkins’ athleticism has never been in question and was solidified with her first dunk over a defender against #9/13 TCU (Dec. 8). The All-SEC Second-Team selection brought all aspects of her game together last season and is coming back into form now.

Watkins’ 5.6 rebounds per game are second on the team and include 2.3 on the offensive end She is scoring 7.6 points per game with three double-figure scoring outings. Defensively, Watkins is sixth in the SEC with 1.70 blocks per game, including 2.67 over the last three games.