No. 3 South Carolina women’s basketball defeated Texas A&M 71-56 on the road despite being without starting guards senior Ta’Niya Latson and freshman Agot Makeer. The victory improved its record to 22-2 on the year and 8-1 in the SEC.
South Carolina and Texas A&M traded early baskets after the Aggies opened the scoring on a jumper by senior guard Ny’Ceara Pryor. The Gamecocks answered with a 3-pointer by junior guard Tessa Johnson, before the Aggies moved back in front on a second-chance 3-pointer by junior forward Fatmata Janneh.
The opening minutes featured multiple missed shots and turnovers by both teams. South Carolina tied the game at 5 when sophomore forward Joyce Edwards made two free throws following an offensive rebound and shooting foul.
The Gamecocks later created a lead when senior center Madina Okot and Edwards converted fast-break layups, and a third 3-pointer by Johnson pushed the lead to 15-7. Johnson shot a perfect four out of four from beyond the arc in the first quarter en route to a 19-point performance.
After this South Carolina run, the Gamecocks didn't look back, as they led the way for the remainder of the game.
The Aggies added a second-chance basket by freshman forward Anita Franchini, but South Carolina closed the quarter with additional perimeter scoring and free throws. At the end of the first quarter, South Carolina led 20-13.
The second quarter opened with two South Carolina turnovers that led directly to back-to-back driving layups by Pryor, cutting the margin to 3. Pryor led the Aggies in points with 14.
Both teams exchanged empty possessions before Texas A&M added a free throw off an offensive rebound. The Gamecocks extended the lead through transition and second-chance opportunities, with baskets by Edwards and Johnson.
After a Texas A&M timeout, the teams exchanged 3-pointers with South Carolina answering each score. The Gamecocks added points from the field and the free-throw line in the final minutes to lead 41-31 going into halftime.
The third quarter opened with several scoreless possessions and missed jumpers on each end. South Carolina eventually opened the second half nearly three minutes into it when Okot converted a fast-break layup off a Texas A&M turnover to make it 43-31.
Following a South Carolina shot clock violation, the Aggies responded with a jumper by junior guard Janae Kent to cut their deficit to 10. The Gamecocks then extended their lead to 49-33 after baskets by Okot, Edwards and sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel.
Edwards was dominant against the Aggies, notching her fifth double-double of the season with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
The Aggies answered with second-chance points from Janneh and a driving layup by sophomore center Emerald Parker, trimming the deficit to 49-37.
Midway through the quarter, South Carolina increased its lead at the line following a turnover and technical foul, with free throws by Edwards and Johnson pushing the score to 53-37.
Texas A&M responded with free throws by Franchini and a fast-break 3-pointer by Pryor to cut the margin to 53-42. Later, a South Carolina turnover led to a Pryor 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Gamecocks remained ahead 55-47 entering the fourth.
The fourth quarter began with Texas A&M scoring 4 points at the line by junior guard Salese Blow to make it 55-51. Both teams went several possessions without a field goal, with the Aggies collecting multiple offensive rebounds but not converting.
South Carolina scored at the line before Edwards made a jumper to extend the lead to 58-51. Blow added two more free throws, but the Gamecocks answered with a second-chance basket by Edwards and two more free throws to build a 62-53 lead.
Later in the quarter, Pryor committed her fifth foul on a defensive play and fouled out, leading to free throws for South Carolina. The Gamecocks outscored the Aggies 16-9 in the final quarter of the game, propelling themselves to the victory.
What's next?
South Carolina (22-2, 8-1 SEC) will return to Columbia, South Carolina, to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs (16-7, 3-6 SEC) on Thursday, Feb. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena and will be streamed on the SEC Network.