#1–USC 103 — #16-Southern 34 (Game Summary)
- As expected, this game was not competitive, as USC led wire-to-wire, scoring the first fifteen points of the game
- Southern did not get on the scoreboard until the 4:25 mark of the 1st quarter to make it a 15-2 Gamecock advantage
- Joyce Edwards was terrific all afternoon, matching the Jaguars’ point total in the first half with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. She finished with a game-high 27 points and 8 rebounds
- Despite shooting 1-of-13 from three-point range in the opening half, the Gamecocks still shot 50% from the field in the game’s first twenty minutes. That’s because they were 17-of-23 on two-point attempts, outscoring the Jaguars 32-10 in the paint
- The Gamecocks picked up right where they left off to begin the 3rd quarter. USC scored the first twenty points of the period to open up a 45-point lead (64-19). By the time the quarter had ended, Carolina led 76-21
- Madina Okot finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and a little history. According to ESPN, the 6’6″ center is the tallest SEC player to make a 3-PT FG in a women’s NCAA tournament game in 25 years
- All nine Gamecocks got into the scoring column with five players scoring in double-figures. USC outrebounded Southern 57-33 with a 62-14 edge in paint points
- The top-seeded Gamecocks will face either #8-Clemson or #9-Southern Cal on Monday in the second round. The Gamecocks have beaten both the Tigers and Trojans this season. USC claimed a 65-37 win over Clemson on November 11th. Then, four days later, the Gamecocks rolled past the Trojans 69-52 in Los Angeles
