The No. 3 South Carolina women's basketball team earned a 71-56 road victory over the Texas A&M Aggies on Feb. 2. Sophomore guard Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks in scoring with 28 points, notching her 13th 20-point game of the season.
Edwards' dominance was necessary for the Gamecocks as they were without two of their starters, senior guard Ta'Niya Latson and freshman guard Agot Makeer.
South Carolina started strong in the first half, forcing early turnovers and converting them into points in transition. Edwards scored 4 points in the first quarter, and junior guard Tessa Johnson added 12, helping the Gamecocks build a 20-13 lead.
Edwards tallied 28 points on an efficient 9-of-12 from the field, while also filling up the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Tessa Johnson finished with 19 points, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc, and senior guard Raven Johnson contributed 7 points and eight assists.
Sophomore guard Maddy McDaniel added 7 points and three steals off the bench, helping South Carolina maintain pressure on both ends of the court. South Carolina also converted 80% (20-25) of free throws and collected 36 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards, which created additional scoring opportunities.
South Carolina shot 44% from the field (22-50) and 35% (7-20) from the 3 for the game, while Texas A&M converted just 33.9% (19-56) of field goals despite making 38.9% (7-18) from 3. The Gamecocks extended their lead with points in the paint and timely 3-pointers.
"I just thought down the stretch we were just a lot more focused on getting the ball where it needed to be," head coach Dawn Staley said.
Offensive production came in waves as the Aggies grabbed 12 offensive rebounds of their own but were outscored 22-14 in the paint and struggled to convert on second-chance opportunities. Senior guard Ny’Ceara Pryor scored 14 points and dished out two assists but fouled out late in the fourth quarter, while junior forward Fatmata Janneh contributed 12 points and five rebounds.
Texas A&M remained competitive through free-throw accuracy, converting 91.7% (11-12) of attempts, but 18 turnovers and foul trouble prevented it from closing the gap. The Aggies recorded 25 personal fouls compared to South Carolina's 12.
In the third quarter, a technical foul on Janneh allowed South Carolina to extend its lead with four made free throws from Edwards and Tessa Johnson.
Then in the fourth quarter, free throws continued to influence the score; Texas A&M cut the margin with four made free throws from junior guard Salese Blow, while South Carolina responded with multiple free throws from Edwards and McDaniel during a 13–3 run.
Once Pryor fouled out with three minutes left in the game, Texas A&M’s rotation and scoring options down the stretch were limited. Additional fouls on Texas A&M players, including senior forward Lauren Ware and freshman guard Chaney Spencer, resulted in more free-throw attempts for South Carolina, helping the Gamecocks maintain a double-digit lead.
The free-throw line became a critical factor, with South Carolina converting 20-of-25 attempts in the game compared to Texas A&M’s 11-of-12, and fouls contributed directly to extended possessions and scoring opportunities in the second half.
South Carolina’s depth, rebounding advantage, efficient shooting and ability to convert turnovers into points proved decisive, allowing the Gamecocks to secure a double-digit road victory despite missing two starters.
The win marked another strong SEC performance and highlighted the team’s ability to maintain control even when key players were out of the lineup.