Dawn Staley explains what College GameDay visit means to South Carolina, Columbia

South Carolina’s 24-0 women’s hoops team has the eye of the country as they continue their campaign towards an undefeated regular season and national championship after falling just short last spring.

Sunday afternoon, ABC featured the South Carolina home game against Georgia at 1 p.m. and even had an edition of College GameDay leading into the broadcast. When it came to the game itself, the two teams played even through one quarter, when sideline Holly Rowe was able to catch up with Coach Staley.

She asked what it means to “have all eyes on Columbia” with a another sellout crowd, College GameDay and national TV exposure. Staley thanked the support of the fans above all else.

“I mean, it’s something. We’ve set the standard, but we keep elevating. It’s our fans that’s pouring into our program. It’s this community that continues to pour into our program. I mean, we’re fortunate. We got some great players who are from South Carolina, Columbia in particular. They support their own.”

Two of the Gamecocks’ key rotation players are from right there in Columbia: sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins, as well as freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley.

Watkins, particularly has come on very strong of late averaging more than 12 points a game over the last six. Staley praised her at length in the pregame as well. Meanwhile, Fulwiley is the team’s third-leading scorer for the year at 11.5 points per contest.

Staley on ‘game of runs’ in 1st quarter

South Carolina got off to a hot start, building a quick 15-6 lead midway through the first quarter. However, Georgia rallied to tie the ball game at 17 apiece by the end of the first period.

During their brief chat, Holly Rowe also asked Staley about her message to the bench after that first 10 minutes.

“Sub,” Staley joked at first, then went into a more serious answer. “No, we got to get going. Georgia’s not going to lay down and die. It’s a game of runs. We got to defend a little bit better, got to make a lot better decisions out there on the offensive side of the basketball, and we got to get behind this crowd.”

However, the Bulldogs came out the aggressors in the second quarter as well and went into the half with up a touchdown lead, 35-28, in a rather shocking tally.