Top-20 Road Trip Next Up for Women's Hoops

Gamecock Notables

• Over the last five seasons, South Carolina is 8-2 against ranked opponents on the road and is 22-10 in such games in the last 10 seasons.

• The Gamecocks lead the SEC in scoring defense in conference games, allowing league foes just 57.2 points per game. They are second to Oklahoma in field goal percentage defense with the Sooners allowing 33.9 percent shooting and the Gamecocks coming in at 34.6 percent.

• South Carolina and Oklahoma are also 1-2 in rebounding in league play with the Gamecocks taking first in rebounding margin (+11.2) and second in rebounding average (45.2).

• The Gamecocks lead the SEC with 6.8 blocks per conference game and are fourth in the nation with a season average of 6.5. Every Gamecock has blocked at least one shot this season, and guards are adding 2.3 blocks per game to the team average.

• National player of the year candidate Joyce Edwards is 14th in the nation in scoring at 20.6 points per game, and her SEC-best .601 field goal percentage comes in 13th. In conference play, the sophomore has elevated her work on the glass, ranking 12th in the league with 7.2 rebounds per game, including 3.4 on the offensive end (9th).

• Senior Raven Johnson continues to show a steady hand in guiding the Gamecocks, ranking fifth in the nation with a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. Her 9.9 points per game are a career high and include 13.6 per SEC outing, which ranks second on the team. Her career-best field goal percentages are highlighted by 52.0 percent shooting in league play – the second-best mark in the conference. Against ranked opponents her numbers are even more impressive with 11.8 points per game on 57.1 percent shooting and 5.8 assists per game.

• Center Madina Okot averages a double-double on the season and in SEC action, during which she adds 12.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, including 4.6 offensive boards per outing, which is third-best in the conference.

• Reserve guards Maddy McDaniel and Agot Makeer have upped their contributions in league play, averaging 23.7 and 21.7 minutes per SEC game. McDaniel leads the SEC with a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Makeer has poured in 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

By the Numbers
1.23 – Senior Ta’Niya Latson is scoring a career-best 1.23 points per shot attempt this season.

6 – South Carolina is playing its  sixth game against a ranked opponent this season, including its third such game in SEC play.

.610 – Tessa Johnson leads the Gamecocks with a .610 effective field goal percentage.

The Oklahoma Series
The Gamecocks are 2-3 all-time against Oklahoma but are 2-1 in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09) with both wins coming in the Sooners’ first season in the SEC.

The most recent meeting came in the 2025 SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C., where the top-seeded Gamecocks posted a 93-75 win in the semifinals (Mar. 8) behind 51.4 percent shooting in the first half. Joyce Edwards poured in 21 points to lead five players in double-figure points.

The Gamecocks won the regular-season meeting in Columbia 101-60 on Jan. 19 by dominating the first (28-9) and third (30-16) quarters. Edwards led the offense with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

South Carolina is making just its second trip to Norman, losing the first game 63-95 on Dec. 30, 2007.

Changes in Lat-itude
The top scorer in the nation last season, senior guard Ta’Niya Latson decided to join South Carolina for her final college season because she knew head coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks had what she needed to challenge herself to expand areas of her game she was not able to hone at Florida State. Without the pressure of being the sole focal point of an offense, Latson’s efficiency has skyrocketed and her defensive skills are steadily expanding.

Named an AP Preseason All-American and to the watch lists of every national player of the year award, Latson improved her strength in the offseason, which has helped her make strides defensively, and she is seeing the court better on offense.

Latson is 12th in the SEC in scoring at 16.0 points per game and sixth in field goal percentage, hitting 51.3 percent, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range – both career-high numbers. Her 3.9 assists per game (13th in SEC) have led to another 8.9 points per game, meaning she has her hands on 26.1 percent of the Gamecocks’ total offense (24.9 ppg).

A-Got Send
Freshman guard Agot Makeer was ranked sixth in the Class of 2025 and drew McDonald’s All-America and honorable mention Naismith All-America honors out of Montverde Academy (FL). She opened her college career on the USWBA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Year and the Wooden Award watch lists.

The long, lithe Makeer is averaging 6.5 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game, which leads the guards. In SEC games, her numbers rise to 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds, and her 1.2 blocks per league game rank 15th.