KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 18 points to lead No. 2 South Carolina to its 15th straight victory, 70-63 over No. 18 Tennessee on Monday night.
MiLaysia Fulwiley added 11 points and Te-Hina Paopao, Chloe Kitts and Raven Johnson all had 10 for the Gamecocks (20-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference).
The Lady Vols (15-5, 3-5) had coach Kim Caldwell back on the sideline after she missed last week’s loss at Texas following the birth of her son. Tennessee, which has lost three in a row, was led by Ruby Whitehorn with 12 points. Talaysia Cooper added 11.
With 6:50 to play in the second quarter, Tennessee’s Talaysia Cooper hit a bucket to put the Lady Vols up 20-17. But Tennessee then went more than six minutes without a basket while South Carolina took control with its 18-1 run to lead 35-36 at halftime.
Notables
- The Gamecock defense held Tennessee to 63 points, its lowest point total of the season and 30 below their 93.4 PPG average. It was the sixth straight game against a ranked opponent that the defense allowed fewer than 65 points.
- Five Gamecocks scored in double figures, making it the eighth game with at least that many double-digit scorers.
- Freshman Joyce Edwards tallied her 15th game in double-figures, leading the team for the ninth time with 18 points after putting up 11 in the first half, five of which coming in a 14-2 run by the Gamecocks that put them back on top.
- MiLaysia Fulwiley’s back-to-back 3s in just 1:55 of play in the second quarter put the Gamecocks in front for the first time in the game. She finished with 11 points for her 11th double-digit scoring game.
- Te-Hina Paopao finished with 10 points, highlighted by a three in the second quarter that capped an 18-5 run by the Gamecocks to go up by 11.
- Raven Johnson put up an SEC season-high 10 points, hitting a 3 in the third quarter that gave South Carolina its largest lead of the game at that point 52-34.
- Chloe Kitts hit her second 3 of the season as part of an 8-2 Gamecock run to open up the third quarter, finishing with 10 points for her 11th game of the season in double-figures. She paced the Gamecocks on the glass for the team-high 10th time this season with seven boards
- Maddy McDaniel posted a new SEC career high with six points, getting the Gamecocks back within a point with her first bucket of the game at the end of the first quarter.