Edwards leads No. 2 South Carolina past Clemson

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 18 points and Tessa Johnson added 13 as No. 2/2 South Carolina beat Clemson 65-37 on Tuesday night for its 15th straight victory over its state rival.

The Gamecocks (3-0), who have won the previous five games with the Tigers (2-1) by an average of 48 points, struggled at times to put away their Atlantic Coast Conference rival.

Clemson was within five points three minutes before halftime and trailed by 10, 45-35, entering the final quarter.

But South Carolina’s defense clamped down when it counted most, as the Tigers were 0-of-17 shooting and held to two foul shots in the final period.

It was the Gamecocks’ 300th win since Colonial Life Arena opened in the fall of 2002.

Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson added 12 points while Madina Okot, a newcomer from Mississippi State, had a game-high 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks.

South Carolina looked ready to blow this one out as it had its first two opponents, as they took an 11-0 lead. The Tigers had missed their first eight shots and could not match up with their taller, faster Southeastern Conference foe.

But a timeout by second-year coach Shawn Poppie got the Tigers refocused and re-energized. Mia Moore had a 3-pointer and followed with a driving basket as the Tigers cut things to 27-22 midway through the second period.

South Carolina found its offense over the final three minutes before the half to reassert control. Johnson had a pair of jumpers while Edwards followed her own miss for the Gamecocks, who went to the half ahead 35-24.

Taylor Johnson-Matthews led Clemson with nine points.

Notables

• All five of South Carolina’s starters scored at least a bucket, with three finishing in double figures.
• The Gamecock defense held Clemson to just two points in the final quarter, tying the second-fewest allowed for an opponent in program history.
• The win over the Tigers officially marked the 300th win for South Carolina in Colonial Life Arena, dating back to Nov. 22, 2002 when the Gamecocks also defeated Clemson, 72-58.
• South Carolina doubled the scoring in the paint over Clemson, 36-18.
• Madina Okot recorded her second double-double in as many games, finishing with 12 points and 12 boards. Eight of her 12 points came in the final quarter as part of a 16-2 Gamecock run.
• Joyce Edwards led the team with 18 points, hitting half of them in the first quarter, all while handing out three blocks to tie a career high.
• Tessa Johnson finished with double-figure scoring for the third consecutive game, putting up 13 points stemming from two second-half 3s and dishing out a team-high three assists.