South Carolina women's basketball blows out Clemson

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It took South Carolina about five minutes to take care of rival Clemson on Thursday night, as the Gamecocks waxed the Tigers 109-40.

It took just 13 seconds for Te-Hina Paopao to nail an open three, and Clemson never got closer. 

Paopao made three three-pointers in the first three minutes as South Carolina sprinted out to a 14-2 lead. Clemson’s Maddi Cluse made a layup to cut the deficit to 17-6 with 5:15 left in the first, and then it was all Gamecocks.

A massive 10-minute, 28-0 Gamecock run followed. Raven Johnson was the only available Gamecock who did not score during the run, but she was setting up her teammates, on the way to a career-high 17 assists. 

“I think Raven has been trying to play at this fast pace for a long time, but she really didn’t have the personnel to do it,” Staley said. “Now the slate was clean coming in and it allowed our athletes to get out and run and play fast with her. It’s paying big dividends for us.”

South Carolina led 31-6 after one quarter, tied for the fifth-largest single-quarter margin in program history. The lead was 62-15 at halftime, and the 62 points were just two points shy of the third-highest first-half total in program history.

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“In the summer when we were practicing I didn’t think this team would be how it is right now,” Johnson said. “We used to run from baseline to baseline every time and we would complain. We used to talk as a team, ‘man we’ve got to do something., But those practices prepared us for now. It was tough, it was gritty, and it made us mentally tough.”

South Carolina lost its focus a little after halftime but continued to pour in the points. Six players reached double figures, led by MiLaysia Fulwiley’s 18. Kamilla Cardoso had 15 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. Ashlyn Watkins also had a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

Paopao finished with 14 points, Chloe Kitts had 12, and Sakima Walker had 10 points and six rebounds. The Gamecocks scored on 65% of their possessions (50 of 77).

South Carolina topped 100 points for the third consecutive game and is averaging 107.7 points per game. The 109 are the most points ever scored in the rivalry by either team. The 69-point margin of victory is also the largest in the series. 

“They shoot the ball really well,” Clemson’s Amanda Butler said. “They balance out their strength inside.”

Going into the game, Dawn Staley wanted to see an improved defensive effort. She got it in the first half. South Carolina held Clemson to 6-37 shooting (16%), forced eight turnovers for a 16-0 advantage in points off turnovers, and was plus-29 rebounding. 

“I thought our ball-screen defense was a lot better today,” Staley said. “We’ve been working on that.”

The defensive effort waned in the second half, but still finished strong. Clemson shot just 22% for the game and was 3-28 from three.

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South Carolina finished the game shooting 53% from the floor and hitting 10-26 from three. The Gamecocks had 30 assists on 44 made baskets.

Johnson’s 17 assists are the second-most in a game in program history. She also had six points, eight rebounds, and five steals while only turning the ball over twice. The last Gamecock to score, Johnson finally got a shot to go in during the third quarter when she put back a missed three by Fulwiley.

“That’s the beauty of basketball. Sharing the ball, finding the open person. It’s poetry in motion. You find the person that’s open, they hit the open shot, you celebrate,” Johnson said. “An assist is like a point.”

Notes:

Freshman guard Tessa Johnson missed the game with a lower leg injury. She was on crutches and in a walking boot. Staley confirmed it was a sprained ankle suffered in shootaround Thursday. She did not have a prognosis for the next game. … South Carolina debuted new “Cocky-inspired” uniforms. … Cristina Ciocan holds the single-game record with 18 assists. … Johnson’s 17 assists were the most by an SEC player since 2005. … Maddi Cluse was the only Tiger in double figures with 11 points. … Fulwiley has 47 points through three games, the most for a player’s first three games in program history. … Dawn Staley’s outfit: black hoodie. … Announced attendance was 16,820. … South Carolina’s next game is Monday against South Dakota State.

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