Southern’s women’s run in this year’s NCAA Tournament ended Saturday, like many before before them, at the hands of a dominant South Carolina performance.
The No. 1 Lady Gamecocks (32-3) pounced on their visitors from Baton Rouge early with smothering defense from start to finish and only hit another gear with a particularly lopsided third quarter in an eventual 103-34 victory.
South Carolina advances to face , while the back-to-back SWAC champion Lady Jaguars (20-14) season ends in the Round of 64 for the second straight year.
The Lady Gamecocks held Southern to just 12-for-65 (18.5%) shooting from the field and 4-for-21 (19.0) from beyond the arc, helped force 20 turnovers overall and owned the battle on the boards by a 57-33 margin.
Four different players scored during a 15-0 South Carolina start as the home team powered its way a 19-6 lead after the first quarter, stretched to 44-19 by halftime and then exploded for a particularly eye-popping 32-2 third quarter.
The Lady Jaguars’ starting lineup could only manage 11 points against their SEC hosts, led by graduate guard Jaylia Reed‘s six and junior guard Zaria Hurston‘s four.
Sophomore guard Jocelyn Tate provided 10 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a steal off the bench as Southern’s biggest bright spot.
And fellow reserves, senior guard Olivia Delancy and junior guard Jestiny Dixon, added six and five points, respectively. Dixon also grabbed six rebounds.
Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards led South Carolina with 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
Senior guard Ta’Niya Latson had 17 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Junior guard Tessa Johnson had 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and senior center Madina Okot had 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Freshman guard Agot Makeer brought 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot off the bench, and freshman forward Alicia Tournebize had five points, a game-high 11 rebounds and a blocked shot.
