No. 2 Gamecocks grab road win over Coppin State

BALTIMORE (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 26 points and five steals, and No. 2 South Carolina beat Coppin State 90-48 on Sunday.

The Gamecocks (19-1) made the trip to Baltimore after the Eagles (4-16) played at South Carolina last season. As expected, there was a good crowd at 4,100-seat PEC Arena, although many of them were wearing garnet in support of the Gamecocks.

Coppin State was down just 22-14 after one quarter, but South Carolina outscored the Eagles 22-5 in the second and it was never close after that.

Tessa Johnson scored 17 points for the Gamecocks, shooting 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Ta’Niya Latson had 15 points, five assists and six steals.

Khila Morris led Coppin State with 20 points.

South Carolina improved to 28-0 against HBCU teams under coach Dawn Staley. It was the fourth time in that span the Gamecocks faced one on the road.

Coppin State has welcomed its share of big-name teams into its arena in recent years, including Maryland in 2021. LSU came in 2023 in what was basically a homecoming for Angel Reese.

The Eagles held their own against the taller Gamecocks on the boards, but South Carolina outscored Coppin State 40-18 in the paint. Thirteen of the Eagles’ 30 turnovers came in the second quarter.

South Carolina used 10 players, and all of them played more than 10 minutes.

Gamecock Notables 

• All 10 available Gamecocks hit the floor, with nine scoring at least a bucket and three finishing in double figures.
• Joyce Edwards led the way for the 13th time this season, finishing with 26 points, marking her seventh game this season with 25+.
• Tessa Johnson continued to be a threat from beyond the arc, tying a career-high five made 3s to finish with 17 points on the day.
• Ta’Niya Latson tallied 15 points for her 15th game this season with 10+, also dishing out a team-high five assists and six steals.
• Madina Okot had a near double-double, netting eight points while grabbing a team-high 12 boards.
• Alicia Tournebize had a standout game, scoring her first career buckets with a new high of eight points, all while adding an assist, steal, and a block.