Markeshia Grant: Keeping the main thing the main thing
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After a game-winning 3-point bank shot by Kamilla Cardoso that helped the Gamecocks get to the SEC tournament final, MiLaysia “Lay with the butter” Fulwiley erupted for 24 points off of the bench in South Carolina’s SEC Championship win—in just 17 minutes of play. That’s keeping the main thing the main thing.
The Main Thing
South Carolina came up big and met the moment…again. The Gamecocks captured their eighth SEC Tournament Championship, going back-to-back seasons with winning both the SEC regular season and tournament titles. With Sunday’s 79-72 win over LSU, South Carolina has now won 16 straight meetings between the two teams and is now 32-0 on the season.
“Lay With the Butter” (MiLaysia Fuwiley)
Fulwiley is South Carolina’s hometown hero and the FIRST freshman to be named the SEC Tournament MVP in Gamecock women’s basketball history. MiLaysia showed why she is one of the best freshmen in the country. She had herself a day. Fulwiley shot 66% percent (8-12) both from the field and from three (4-6). She sparked the Gamecocks offense early in the first quarter and showed her exceptional defensive ability by getting crucial stops and steals against the LSU guards.
The LSU Tigers kept the game close, but South Carolina was able to control the tempo to close out the game with a win. Te-Hina Paopao added 12 points for the Gamecocks and Aneesah Morrow added 19 and 10 rebounds for the LSU Tigers.
What’s Next
South Carolina clinched its 12th straight NCAA appearance and is projected to be a number 1 overall seed. The Gamecocks will most likely host the first and second rounds at Colonial Life Arena. Selection Sunday is March 17, 2024 at 8:00 PM on ESPN.
Notables
- Bench Points – 35 points for South Carolina
- 11 Blocks (5 by Ashlyn Watkins)
- Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao added 5 assists a piece
- Fulwiley joins former Gamecock Destanni Henderson in winning tournament MVP while also coming off the bench
- Kamilla Cardoso and MiLaysia Fulwiley were named All-tournament team
FAMS! – Join us at GamecockCentral
Former South Carolina women’s basketball standout Markeshia Grant is joining GamecockCentral as the site’s Special Women’s Basketball Analyst for the duration of the Gamecocks’ 2024 postseason run.
Grant, who played for Dawn Staley at South Carolina for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons and is still heavily involved in following the program, will share her unique insights and knowledge on the team with GamecockCentral readers as it continues to expand its coverage of women’s basketball.
[Get Complete South Carolina WBB postseason coverage from veteran reporter Chris Wellbaum and analyst Markeshia Grant! Join GC now and get your first month for $1 or use the code FAMS to get 40% off the first year!]
In the time since she played at South Carolina, Grant has remained active in both the local and women’s basketball communities.
She is the Founder and CEO of Savvy Skills, LLC, a resource committed to helping student-athletes transform the way they think about life and sports— through progressive forward-thinking and transformative action.
The Tampa, Fla. native is a personal development Coach, motivational speaker, consultant for nonprofit programs, and National Girl’s Basketball Evaluator.
Grant is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology, and a Master of Education in Educational-Technology.
You can follow Markeshia on Twitter/X @savvyfive.
