Gamecock Notables
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South Carolina’s 41.6 points per game in the paint rank eighth in the nation, just behind Tennessee’s 41.9 per game. The Gamecocks have already played the top four teams in that category, allowing only one (UCLA) to out-score them in the paint and holding all four at least 10 points below their average.
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The Gamecock defense has been especially staunch in SEC action, leading the league in scoring defense (56.1), field goal percentage defense (.327), 3-point percentage defense (.239) and blocks per game (7.0). It has done a bulk of that damage over the last five games, during which opponents – including four ranked teams – have managed just 54.6 points per game on 30.7 percent shooting, including 20.7 percent from 3-point range.
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Senior forward Sania Feagin has been steadily stamping her authority on the Gamecocks’ inside game on both sides of the ball, culminating in the last five games that saw her average 10.4 points (3rd on the team), 7.0 rebounds (2nd on the team) 5.0 blocks (1st on the team) and 2.0 assists while shooting 67.7 percent from the field – all while battling opposing centers.
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Freshman forward Joyce Edwards has worked her way into the Freshman of the Year conversation, not with gaudy season numbers (12.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg) but with her impact on the Gamecocks’ success. The team’s top scorer on the season, she has paced the squad in a team-high eight games this season, including each of the last three. Her 14.3 points per SEC game have come on an SEC-best 61.9 percent shooting.
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South Carolina has “done nothing but win” with Raven Johnson, according to her head coach, and that success is grounded in her intangibles – defense, ability to run a team and confidence to meet the moment. The quantifiable parts of Johnson’s game include 2.0 steals per SEC game (7th), league-best 4.0 assist-to-turnover ratio in league play, a Gamecock-guard leading 4.6 rebounds per game.
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Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao continues to lead the Gamecock offense against ranked opponents with her 12.1 points per game, 53.8 percent shooting and 46.2 percent from 3-point range all above her overall season numbers.
By the Numbers
2.86 – South Carolina guards account for 2.86 of the team’s SEC-best 7.0 blocks per league game.
6 – Six Gamecocks average at least 8.9 points in SEC action – three guards and three forwards.
8 – South Carolina’s eight wins over ranked teams are three more than any other team. All…