Gamecocks-Huskies on Final Four Friday

Gamecock Notables

• South Carolina’s sixth-straight NCAA Final Four appearance marks the second-longest streak in tournament history and the longest active streak in the nation. With Dawn Staley at the helm for all six, she ranks third among both men’s and women’s basketball coaches for consecutive Final Four appearances.

• The Gamecocks are shooting 51.6 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament, following in the footsteps of the season’s 50.8 percent mark, which ranks third in the nation.

• South Carolina leads NCAA Tournament teams in assists per game (21.8), field goal percentage defense (.320), rebounding margin (+17.8) and scoring margin (+40.3) at the event this season.

• The Gamecocks have been sharp after halftime this postseason, outscoring opponents by 8.4 points per third quarter (22.4-14.0) over the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Their efficiency has been the best in the fourth quarter, during which they’re shooting 56.9 percent in postseason games.

• Six Gamecocks average double-figures in NCAA Tournaments action, including freshman Agot Makeer at 14.8 points per game on 55.6 percent field goal shooting. Her effort leads a resurgent Gamecock bench that has contributed 26.6 percent of the offense with 25.0 points per game at the event.

• NCAA Sacramento Regional 4 Most Outstanding Player Raven Johnson continues to be a lockdown defender, and has added more consistent offense to her resume this season, posting career highs of 10.2 points per game, 50.0 percent field goal shooting and 41.4 percent 3-point accuracy. The surge has not dampened her ability to distribute the ball as her 5.3 assists per game are a career high.

• All-American forward Joyce Edwards is among the nation’s top offensive weapons, ranking 20th in scoring (19.7 ppg) and 18th in the field goal percentage (.582). She is five points away from tying the program record for points in a season, originally set in 1977-78. In the NCAA Tournament, she has been dominant on the glass as well, pulling down 9.8 rebounds per game to go with her 20.5 points per game in the event.

By the Numbers
7 – Seven Gamecocks have scored in double figures at least once in this NCAA Tournament.

14 – South Carolina’s 14 wins against ranked opponents rank second in the nation.

The UConn Series
The Gamecocks are 5-11 all-time against UConn with a 5-10 mark in the Staley era (beginning 2008-09 season). Over the last seven seasons, the edge tilts to the Gamecocks with a 5-3 advantage in that time.

The two teams have met frequently in the regular season over the last decade and have also faced off three times in the NCAA Tournament, including splitting a pair of National Championship games – South Carolina in 2022 and UConn in 2025.

All-American Girls
A trio of Gamecocks have received All-America honors this season, led by forward Joyce Edwards who has been on every list’s second team. She is just the eighth Gamecock sophomore all-time to earn All-America status and the third to do it after earning the honor as a freshman as well – Aliyah Boston (2020, 2021) and A’ja Wilson (2015, 2016).

Senior Raven Johnson earned third-team honors from the Associated Press and honorable mention nods from USA Today and the USBWA. It is the first season she has received the label.

Senior Ta’Niya Latson claimed All-America recognition for the fourth straight season as she drew honorable mention honors from the Associated Press.

This season marks the seventh-straight that multiple Gamecocks have earned All-America status.

Staley’s Standard
In her 26th season as a head coach, Dawn Staley has a .779 (682-193) winning percentage, which ranks eighth in the nation among active head coaches and 10th all-time. With three national championships, she ranks fourth among head coaches all-time in NCAA titles.

Staley is one of just two women’s basketball coaches to lead their teams to multiple 40-game win streaks in NCAA history with the Gamecocks’ program-record 43-game streak (2023-24) ranking seventh longest in NCAA history. She is one of just 11 men’s or women’s basketball coaches all-time to win at least three NCAA National Championships and the first Black head coach to win multiple titles. She is one of seven coaches to lead a team to at least four NCAA National Championship games.

Now in her 18th season with the Gamecocks, Staley is the program’s all-time winningest coach (510) with a program-record 15 postseason appearances. She accounts for all seven of the Gamecocks’ Final Four appearances and the only NCAA National Championships in program history.  Her leadership on the court and in the community resulted in the City of Columbia commissioning a statue of Staley, which stands a short distance from the Gamecocks’ home Colonial Life Arena.

Fast Forward
The Gamecocks have been on the move this season, ranking second in the nation with 19.4 fast break points per game, including 15.7 vs. SEC foes and 13.1 against ranked opponents. For context, the program record of 18.0 fast break points per game was set in 2023-24, and last season’s average was 17.1.

South Carolina’s season-high of 56 fast break points against Queens (Nov. 23) were the third-most in program history. The Gamecocks are out-scoring opponents on the break by 12.5 points per game (19.8-7.3).

Record Watch
South Carolina’s prolific offense has already set program records for points (3,310) and field goals made (1,260) in a season. Scoring 87.1 points per game, the Gamecocks are on pace to break the program record for scoring average, which the undefeated 2024 National Champions currently own at 85.4 points per game.

Sophomore Joyce Edwards is similarly on track for some program single-season scoring records as her 749 points are just five away from the program record of 754 set in 1977-78. Her 22 games of at least 20 points is tied for the program record, matching that of Shannon Johnson in 1995-96.