South Carolina women's basketball wrapped up an impressive January on Thursday, with a dominant 30-point victory over Auburn. The Daily Gamecock is recognizing sophomore forward Joyce Edwards as its Player of the Month for January for her excellence on the court and impact on the team's success.
Averaging 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists on the season, Edwards' dominant campaign in January helped the team earn pivotal conference wins over No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Vanderbilt.
In the month of January, Edwards averaged 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Eight of the team's nine games came against SEC opponents, with three of those teams being ranked.
The 6-foot-3-inch forward ranks first or second on the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks, while her 58.7% field goal percentage of 293 attempts on the season is second to only senior center Madina Okot with 216 attempts.
On New Year's Day and the team's first SEC game of the season, Edwards dropped 25 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block in an 83-57 win over previously unbeaten Alabama. She was the only player in the game to score over 20, and she joined senior guard Raven Johnson as the only two players in the game to shoot better than 50% on at least five attempts.
Momentum from the victory over the Crimson Tide carried over to the Gamecocks' trip down to Gainesville, Florida, where they defeated the Gators by a score of 74-63. Edwards posted a double-double, her fourth of the season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Both Florida and South Carolina shot just 34% from the field in the game, but Edwards was one of only five players in the game to shoot 40% or better out of a minimum of three attempts. She once again posted three stocks with one steal and two blocks.
A follow-up road victory over Arkansas helped the team find its groove, shooting 52% from the field, with Edwards' 22 points leading the way. She shot 69.2% in the game, also grabbing seven rebounds and earning two assists. She had three stocks with two steals and one block for the third consecutive game, and the Gamecocks earned a comfortable 93-58 victory.
Returning home, the team hosted Georgia, who entered the game at an impressive 15-2 record. The Gamecocks held the Bulldogs to 27% shooting from the field, earning six steals and eight blocks as a team in the process. Edwards contributed one of each. She grabbed a team-high six offense rebounds in the game, adding 14 points, tied for the most on the team. South Carolina cruised to a 65-43 victory.
Arguably the biggest game of South Carolina's season came in the following week against No. 4 Texas. The two teams had met previously this season in Las Vegas, where the Longhorns handed the Gamecocks an out-of-conference loss. It was the only loss of the season for South Carolina at the time of the rematch on Jan. 15.
The Gamecocks forced 22 turnovers by the Longhorns in the game, with Edwards leading the team in both steals, with three, and blocks, with two. She led the team in its scoring efforts as well, posting 14 points while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. South Carolina toughed out a 68-65 revenge win over the Longhorns, advancing to 18-1 and 5-0 in the SEC.
"I thought Joyce (Edwards) got some key offensive rebounds, some key tie-ups," head coach Dawn Staley said. "It is those plays that really are game changing and it gives you the momentum to continue to try to win the game."
Edwards' defensive tear didn't end there, and she went on to post five stocks in each of her next two games as well. On the road against Coppin State, she scored 26 points on 75% from the field, accumulating five steals in just 25 minutes on the court. The Gamecocks handily won 90-48.
In the team's sole losing effort of the month on a road trip against No. 16 Oklahoma, she grabbed four steals and a block to go along with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. South Carolina was outscored 19-7 in overtime when Sooner freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez went 5-5 from the field for 15 points in the period.
Returning home three days later on Jan. 25, the team hosted No. 5 Vanderbilt, who entered the game undefeated and alone atop the SEC. The Gamecocks outscored the Commodores 33-16 in the first quarter, and the deficit would never fall into single digits for the rest of the game.
Edwards did it all, scoring 16 points on 70% shooting while also tying Okot with a team-high seven rebounds. She dished out a season-high six assists, tying Johnson for the most of any player in the game. The team earned a 103-74 statement victory in a bounce-back effort following the loss to Oklahoma.
"She’s capable of doing it all," Staley said. "I thought her best game in a Gamecocks uniform was Texas, here. I think Vandy has superseded that."
In the team's latest outing against Auburn, the Tigers were held to 16 total points in the first half. Edwards scored a team-high 20 points in the 81-51 victory, shooting 64.3% from the field and grabbing five rebounds. The performance was her fourth of the month eclipsing the 20-point threshold.
The Gamecocks ended the month at 21-2 overall with a 7-1 record in conference play. Edwards sits as the SEC's third-highest scorer per game, averaging 20, and is shooting at the fourth-best mark from the field with 59.3%. She's one of just three players in the conference to be shooting 50% or better from the field while also ranking top 20 in points per game. She's the only player in the conference to average 20-plus points on over 50% shooting.
Edwards and the Gamecocks look to keep stacking wins in a February that consists of four ranked matchups, two on the road. They'll take on Texas A&M on Monday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. in Bryan-College Station, Texas.