Dawn Staley reveals South Carolina's 'elevator' after 38-point Florida rout
02/14/2025 10:27 AM
No. 4 South Carolina women's basketball, led by head coach Dawn Staley, bounced back in dominant fashion Thursday night with a 101-63 victory over Florida at Colonial Life Arena. The team improved to 23-2 overall and 11-1 in SEC play, extending their home winning streak to 71 games after the Gamecocks’ tough loss to Texas earlier in the week. Fifth-year guard Te-Hina Paopao set the tone early, hitting three three-pointers in the game's opening five minutes to push South Carolina to a 17-8 lead.
Paopao finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds and a team-high seven assists in one of her most complete performances of the season.
"She's an elevator, she elevates our team," Paopao sets the tone Gamecocks light up FloridaStaley said, as reported by Lulu Kesin of the Greenville News. "When Pao hits a 3-pointer, it allows all of us to exhale because she's been that potent for us from an offensive standpoint."
Freshman Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with a career-high 28 points, surpassing her previous best of 21. Edwards, who had struggled in the team's last two outings, returned to form and dominated from the start, helping South Carolina build a commanding 36-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Gamecocks' defense also played a critical role, holding Florida to just 30.6% shooting in the first half and forcing the Gators into difficult possessions. Liv McGill led Florida with 15 points, but the Gators had no answer for South Carolina's depth and pace.
South Carolina's offensive balance was evident as they hit eight three-pointers as a team and reached the 100-point mark for the second time this season. Paopao's confidence and rhythm early in the game set the tone, with her contributions providing a spark the Gamecocks needed following their loss to Texas.
“She’s a play maker,” Staley said. “We want the ball in her hands, we want her coming off screens, we want her play making for us along with putting the ball in the hole, especially outside the 3-point line, also just facilitating. Paopao just took more of an effort to play make today and we need that.”
South Carolina women’s basketball will now shift its focus to a major non-conference matchup against Paige Bueckers and the No. 7 UConn Huskies on Sunday, a game that promises to test their momentum after the statement win over Florida.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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