South Carolina vs Texas A&M ended in a routing, as the Gamecocks overcame a shorthanded roster and motivated Aggies squad to secure a 71-56 victory on Monday.
Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards delivered a dominant performance in the SEC showdown, scoring 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Edwards was particularly clutch in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of her points in the final period.
Junior guard Tessa Johnson provided support with 19 points, tying her career-high with five made three-pointers. Johnson caught fire early, sinking her first four attempts from beyond the arc and finishing 5-of-11 from range.
The Gamecocks built a 16-point lead late in the third quarter, before Texas A&M responded with a 7-0 run. That’s when senior Aggies guard Ny’ceara Pryor hit a buzzer-beating three to cut South Carolina’s advantage to 55-47.
Texas A&M pulled within four points early in the final period. But Edwards quickly shifted the narrative, scoring eight points on a 9-0 run to push South Carolina’s lead to 67-53 with under two minutes remaining. The breakout performance subsequently sealed the results for South Carolina vs Texas A&M.
“The team that’s able to grab it at any given moment can win basketball games,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said postgame.
“They had it at the end of the third quarter, and we tried to figure out how to do that. I think we had more probably defensive momentum after we stopped fouling in the fourth quarter and then we were able to score.”
The victory improved surging South Carolina to a 22-2 overall record and 8-1 in SEC play. They’ve also held tight to their No. 3 AP Poll ranking, despite missing starters Ta’Niya Latson and Agot Makeer to lower-leg injuries.
How to watch South Carolina women’s basketball this week
South Carolina hosts unranked Mississippi State on Thursday at 6:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.
The Gamecocks’ next ranked matchup comes on Sunday, tipping off against skidding No. 19 Tennessee at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN.
