There are few givens in sports, but one manifested itself on Wednesday night in the Upstate. For the 14th straight time, the South Carolina women’s basketball team dispatched Clemson in their annual Palmetto State matchup. This time though, the Tigers put up a little better fight than in previous seasons.
After having been blown out by 54 and 69 points the past couple of seasons, Clemson held an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. That’s when the Gamecocks flipped a switch that the Tigers simply don’t have, outscoring Clemson 67-34 to cruise to a 77-45 win at Littlejohn Coliseum. The victory improved the #1 team in the country to 5-0 on the season and was USC’s 43rd consecutive win, setting a new program record.
As usual, Carolina’s defense and its size made all the difference. The Gamecocks held Clemson to just 25% shooting from the field while outrebounding the Tigers 54-30. USC’s bench depth was a critical component as well, outpacing Clemson’s reserves 43-3.
Te-Hina PaoPao led the Gamecocks with 13 points, while Ashlyn Watkins recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Loyal McQueen finished with a game-high 15 points for the Tigers.
USC travels to 5th-ranked UCLA on Sunday, while Clemson (3-1) will compete in the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida starting Monday.