South Carolina women’s basketball earned its second win of the season at Colonial Life Arena on Friday night in a 114-47 win over the Bowling Green Falcons, advancing to 2-0 on the season.
The Gamecocks trailed for the first time all season when Falcons sophomore guard Johnea Donahue scored the first points of the game. In a quick answer, South Carolina sophomore forward Joyce Edwards hit a layup off an assist by transfer senior guard Ta’Niya Latson to tie the game 2-2.
Edwards would score 6 of the team’s first 8 points of the night, aiding a 15-point run that followed the Falcons' first score. Bowling Green turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions, all leading to points for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina led 27-7 after the first quarter thanks to a five rebound period from senior center Madina Okot. Her five boards were more than double any other player’s total. The team had four blocks in the quarter, including two from Edwards. Freshman guard Agot Makeer led the team with 9 points after the first.
Senior forward Maryam Dauda earned a pair of free throws after earning back to back offensive rebounds. The Gamecocks were out rebounding the Falcons 23-9 at that point, and Dauda would score even more second chance points off another rebound by herself on the very next possession.
A little over 13 minutes into the game, the Falcons had made just three field goals on 25 attempts, good for 12%. It was an entirely different story for South Carolina, who had knocked down 13 buckets on 26 shots for a 50% mark from the field.
Nearing halftime, the Falcons simply couldn’t hit from beyond the arc. Bowling Green was shooting 2/12 from three and 5/34 overall at the 3:09 mark.
Junior guard Tessa Johnson began to find her rhythm near the end of the second quarter. She scored 5 points, notched five rebounds and added two assists with a minute to go before the half.
With 53 seconds to go, Bowling Green had hit just one of its last 11 shots before senior guard Emily Siesel knocked down a three to shorten the Gamecocks' lead to 33. Tessa Johnson responded with a three of her own on South Carolina’s final possession of the half, bringing the halftime score to 55-19.
The Falcons had managed to turn the ball over just seven times at half compared to the Gamecocks' eight total giveaway. But fast break points highlighted the key difference, as South Carolina’s 17 outnumbered Bowling Green’s two.
At the break, Makeer’s 11 points and Edwards’ 10 combined to outscore the entire Falcons roster. Junior forward Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick led the team with 4 points.
Senior guard Raven Johnson hit a three for the team’s third score of the second half to push the lead to 42 and the score to 64-22. Her six assists at that point led the team, while she also grabbed four rebounds.
South Carolina finished the third quarter on a 6-0 run in the final 1:25 of the period. Raven Johnson assisted on the final two baskets, bringing her total to eight in 19 minutes of play. The team was +34 with her on the court, the fourth best mark on the team through three periods.
With 6:25 left in the fourth quarter, Tessa Johnson knocked down a jumpshot on a fastbreak, lifting the Gamecocks over 100 points for the first time this season.
She ended the contest 14 points, three assists and six rebounds in 20 minutes at the time. Her six boards were the third most on the team at that point.
Raven Johnson finished with a double-double thanks to 11 points and 11 assists. The performance moved her into eighth all-time for career assists in Gamecock history.
Of nine players to see the court for the team, seven finished in double-figure scoring. Edwards led the team with 24 on 12 shots that included just one miss. Her 91% field goal percentage was the best mark by a Gamecock this season.
The team’s 114 point outing ties the second-highest performance in program history.
"They're a hard group to wrangle," Bowling Green head coach Fred Chmiel said after the game.
Chmiel was an assistant coach with the Gamecocks for eight seasons, accompanying the team to two national championships and six SEC Tournament championships.
What's next?
South Carolina women's basketball will look to extend its win streak to three at home on Tuesday against in-state rival Clemson. The undefeated Tigers will be coming off over a week of rest looking to pull the upset over Dawn Staley's Gamecocks. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.