Gamecocks Face Another Top-20 Matchup Sunday

Gameday Information
USC Veterans Alumni Council Give Back Game: Donate diapers (size 0-4), wipes to benefit local NICU and Veterans Maternity Health Care, collecting outside Colonial Life Arena
Parking: Shuttles running from Founders Park 1-6 p.m. – parking and shuttle are free!
Doors Open: 2 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. for Fast Break Pass
Giveaway: 5,000 “The House That Dawn Staley Built” t-shirts
Halftime: Brooke Neilson

South Carolina Gamecocks
Head Coach: Dawn Staley
Top Scorer: Joyce Edwards (20.4)
Top Rebounder: Madina Okot (10.0)

Tennessee Lady Vols
Head Coach: Kim Caldwell
Top Scorer: Talaysia Cooper (14.4)
Top Rebounder: Janiah Barker (6.9)

Gamecock Notables

• South Carolina’s 51.1 percent shooting ranks fourth in the nation as does its .335 field goal percentage defense. In SEC play, the Gamecocks are shooting 46.4 percent and holding opponents to an SEC-best 36.3 percent. In seven games against ranked opponents, they’re shooting 46.2 percent and seeing teams hit .42.5 percent.

• Scoring 80.8 points per SEC game, the Gamecocks are as high scoring at home (81.4 ppg) as they are on the road (80.2 ppg). The defense makes the difference at home, holding opponents to 56.8 points per game versus 64.4 on the road.

• Adjustment has been the name of the game for the Gamecocks this season as South Carolina has started just 10 games with its full roster available. In five of their 10 SEC games, the Gamecocks have been missing at least one starter from the lineup.

• The Gamecock offense has been in steady hands with Raven Johnson and Maddy McDaniel running the show. They are second and third, respectively, in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio in league play. Johnson is fourth in the nation at 3.7 for the season, including a 3.2 mark in league action. McDaniel has a 3.1 assist-to-turnover ratio against the SEC and a 5.2 mark for the season.

• Forward Joyce Edwards carved her name into Gamecock lore as the fifth-fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points (64 games). She is ranked 16th in the nation with 20.4 points per game this season. Only one Gamecock sophomore has ever finished a season averaging at least 20 points – Shannon Johnson (23.5, 1993-94). Edwards’ 14 20-point games this season are just two shy of the program’s single-season top 10.

• Senior Madina Okot has rediscovered her offensive efficiency in the last four games, averaging 9.5 points per game on 73.9 percent shooting. Defensively she has added 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in that stretch as well.

• Senior Raven Johnson has brought all aspects of her game together this season with career-best offensive numbers – 9.8 ppg on 49.7 percent shooting, 36.1 percent from 3-point range on top of a career-best 5.3 assists per game. Against ranked opponents, those numbers rise to 12.1 points per game on 55.4 percent shooting, 50.0 percent from outside the arc. and 5.7 assists per game.

By the Numbers
4.3 – Joyce Edwards has handed out 4.3 assists per game over the last four outings while also scoring 21.3 points per contest.

9.0 – The Gamecocks have out-scored their previous seven ranked opponents by 9.0 points per game.

25.0 – South Carolina’s bench has averaged 25.0 points over the last five games.

The Tennessee Series
The Gamecocks are 16-49 all-time against Tennessee with a 15-12 mark in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09). South Carolina has won the last eight meetings, but the last three games were decided by single digits.

In the most recent meeting, South Carolina claimed a 70-63 victory on Jan. 27, 2025, in Knoxville. Five Gamecocks finished with double-figure points, led by Joyce Edwards’ 18.

Ranked Readings
Against ranked teams, South Carolina is 137-73 (.652) in the Dawn Staley era (beginning 2008-09), and even that mark is skewed by the early seasons of her tenure. Since the start of the 2014-15 campaign, the Gamecocks are 122-34 (.782) against ranked teams, including a 52-7 (.881) mark since the start of the 2021-22 season. The Gamecocks are 120-24 (.833) under Staley when ranked higher/better than their opponent.

This season, South Carolina is 5-2 against ranked opponents with four games happening outside Columbia – W 69-52 vs. #8/10 Southern Cal (Nov. 15), L 64-66 vs. #4/4 Texas (Nov. 27), W 79-77 at #22/21 Louisville (Dec. 4), W 83-57 vs. #-/24 Alabama  (Jan. 1), W 68-65 vs. #4/4 Texas (Jan. 15), L OT 94-82 at #16/16 Oklahoma (Jan. 22), W 103-74 vs. #5/4 Vanderbilt (Jan. 25).

Paint Production
South Carolina has long controlled the paint, and this season is no different.

Scoring 53.6 percent of the their total points in the paint, the Gamecocks are second in the nation with a 47.1 scoring average in that space and are out-scoring opponents inside by an average of 24.4 points, including a +15.0 edge in SEC action. They tied the program record for single-game paint points in back-to-back outings with 74 at USF (Dec. 18) and at FGCU (Dec. 20).

The Gamecocks are shooting 61.7 percent in the paint compared to opponents’ 41.3 percent accuracy.