South Carolina women's basketball gets hot, pulls away from NC State 71-57

No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball was in another tight game with No. 9 NC State at the Ally Tip-Off, but a blistering 10-of-11 shooting stretch wrapped around halftime ballooned the lead into double-digits and it stayed there as the Gamecocks won the Final Four rematch 71-57.

"I thought we won the game over a 40-minute period," Dawn Staley said. "I thought our defense helped enhance our ability to scramble out of situations, to recover. I know we didn't put a whole lot of points on the scoreboard, but I was really pleased with our defensive effort and our ability to just smother them at times."

Prior to the stretch, it was more of the same for South Carolina (2-0) following on from its narrow win over Michigan on Monday. While the defensive energy and rebounding effort was night-and-day better and it created some transition opportunities, the halfcourt offense was still a slog against another paint-packing zone defense. NC State (1-1) followed the Michigan blueprint, and it was working with a 25-21 lead late in the second quarter.

Until the shots started falling.

MiLaysia Fulwiley knocked down a pair of shots to start the avalanche, and later in the run knocked down South Carolina’s first 3-pointer of the game after the team missed its first five attempts of the game from beyond the arc. With just over a minute remaining in the first half Te-Hina Paopao canned her first triple of the afternoon, and hit another one to open the second half scoring and help blow the game open.

"We're a team full of hoopers and everyone had their night," Paopao said. "And me and Lay had our night tonight. It could be a different night where someone also has a good game. I appreciate my teammates looking for me, finding me and just keeping the hot hand hot."

Paopao and Fulwiley were the driving forces of a significantly better backcourt performance for the Gamecocks. Paopao scored her career-high in a Gamecock uniform with 23 points — her pervious high was 21 against UConn last season — and Fulwiley added in 18, nine of which came in a four-minute flurry before the half. It was an 18-5 run to end the first half and an extended 35-11 spurt including the third quarter action to blow the game open.

Reminiscent of the third quarter pop against the Wolfpack in Cleveland last April, a reminder of what this South Carolina team looks like when fully operational. Not that this was a perfect performance by any means. NC State trimmed a 20-point lead down to seven in the fourth quarter after the offense went stagnant for a stretch, and the team still finished with 20 turnovers.

"This is a great game to play," Staley said. "But it also reveals some of your weaknesses. We know of them because we played this type of game. You can beat somebody by 50 points, and you can pay for a guarantee game, but you can't pay for the lessons that you put your players through."

There were three personnel notes for South Carolina from the game, one player into the lineup, one out and one injury.

Forward Ashlyn Watkins played for the first time this season, officially marking her time missed at one game, just the opener.

Watkins was arrested on Aug. 31st for first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping. Charges were disposed on November 1st after Watkins underwent PTI, and the program reinstated her on Tuesday.

Forward Chloe Kitts did not play after her double-double on Monday. The program released a statement shortly before tip-off that Kitts had an “academic policy” and had to sit out the game.

True freshman Joyce Edwards took her spot in the starting lineup and had eight points and five rebounds, but also finished with eight turnovers.

And finally, shooting guard Tessa Johnson only played nine minutes and none in the second half after she "tweaked her ankle" according to Staley. She did not comment on if the injury would carry into any future games.

South Carolina will open the home portion of its schedule on Thursday against Coppin State.

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