New year, same Gamecocks.

South Carolina women’s basketball picked up where it left off in 2024 with an 83-52 win at Missouri to start SEC play, the program’s 48th consecutive SEC victory and a victorious start to 2025. The win also marked Dawn Staley's 200th career SEC regular season victory.

Four Gamecocks scored in double-figures, led by a MiLaysia Fulwiley second half scoring binge. The sophomore point guard only had three points on the board as the third quarter clock ticked down, but exploded for a stretch of 12 points, three rebounds, two blocks and two assists in less than six minutes of game time as South Carolina (13-1, 1-0 SEC) went on a 17-0 run to finally shake free of the Tigers.

Missouri (11-5, 0-1 SEC) stayed within striking distance for most of the game, even trimming its deficit to single-digits midway through the third quarter as South Carolina’s sloppy offensive performance kept the game in doubt. The Gamecocks had eight turnovers in the first half and only hit 11 field goals in the opening 20 minutes, instead relying on its size to get to the free throw line and hold the Tigers at arm’s length from the charity stripe.

A tightly-whistled game combined with two physical teams resulted in 49 fouls called and 52 free throw attempts. South Carolina went 25-of-32 from the free throw line to grow its lead, while Missouri struggled at an 11-of-17 clip. Ashlyn Watkins hit five of those free throws as part of her 11-point, 11-rebound double-double, her second double-double of the season along with the Clemson game. Te-Hina Paopao also finished with 11 points, nine of which came on three 3-pointers.

Fulwiley’s surge combined with a strong defensive stretch helped the Gamecocks take over and ice the contest with time to spare, erasing the woes of a sloppy night with 13 turnovers against only eight assists. All 11 South Carolina players who were available to play scored, with just Maddy McDaniel and Sakima Walker missing the game with their respective lingering injuries. Point guard Raven Johnson had a brief scare when she went down holding her knee in the third quarter and missed over six minutes of game time, but returned to the floor in the fourth quarter.

True freshman center Adhel Tac popped up with nine points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter, a career-high in both departments in a very impressive first taste of SEC action with an just five minutes on the floor in garbage time.

South Carolina finishes out its brief two-game road trip to start conference play on Sunday afternoon, a 2 p.m. ET tip-off at Mississippi State.

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