#1 South Carolina at #24 North Carolina - How to watch and what to watch for

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC Standings • NCAA Polls • Scholarship Chart

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The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (5-0) at #24 North Carolina (5-2)
When: 7:00 pm, Thursday, November 30
Where: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, NC
Watch: ESPN

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1. Two-Thirds of Tobacco Road 
After a couple of weeks of games against overmatched opponents, South Carolina has a big test this weekend against a pair of ACC foes. Thursday night’s game at North Carolina is part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, while Sunday’s game at Duke marks the return of the series with the Blue Devils.

These two games are the first true road games of the season for South Carolina and the first time the Gamecocks’ relatively young core will face a hostile environment. And they happen back-to-back.

“It’s our first true away games in a hostile environment,” Chloe Kitts said. “We’re all just excited. We’re ready.”

Dawn Staley was asked how she thought the inexperienced Gamecocks would handle their first true road test, “away from this building.”

“Colonial Life or this building? We’ve overcome this building right here. Good Lord!” she said, gesturing toward the Carolina Coliseum practice courts. “We have experience in Kamilla and Pao, Raven’s been on this stage before so nothing’s going to rattle her. We’re good with that. It’s probably the younger ones, the MiLaysias, just the freshmen, that really haven’t played on this stage.”

The Gamecocks are staying in the Triangle between games instead of returning to Columbia.

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2. Get Breezy going
Bree Hall was one of the most experienced Gamecocks entering this season, and South Carolina expected the junior to take a big step forward in production.

Hall had quietly become one of South Carolina’s key reserves last season. She hit clutch baskets against Tennessee, South Florida, and Maryland during the SEC and NCAA tournaments, and was one of two players who attended SEC Media Days.

As a long, rangy athlete who can defend, run the floor, and knock down threes, Hall seems perfectly suited for South Carolina’s uptempo style. But instead of enjoying a breakout season, Hall has started out slowly.

Hall is averaging a career-high 7.4 points, but that is mostly due to increased playing time. She is shooting just 31.1% from the floor and 22.7% from three, both career lows.

Nobody is hitting the panic button. Hall is getting open looks that should start falling. But it would be nice to get those shots falling sooner rather than later.

3. Run Baby Run
Chloe Kitts went from playing guard last season to forward this season. The change had a lot to do with her individual development – she got stronger and more physical and developed her play around the rim – but it also reflects a philosophical shift.

Last season South Carolina wanted to play at a more deliberate pace because its biggest strengths were post players Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso. This season the biggest strengths are the guards and athletic rim runners like Kitts.

Kitts talked about how the shift has unlocked her potential and brought a different spark to the team.

“It’s so much fun. We all can push in transition,” Kitts said. “It’s different than last year. Last year we pushed, just not as much. We’re more of a transition team. We get out, run the lanes, get easy layups. It’s really fun.”

4. Injury Update
Following a one-game absence, South Carolina got Te-Hina Paopao back from injury against Mississippi Valley State. South Carolina should get its other injured player back Thursday night.

Tessa Johnson hasn’t played since the Maryland game due to a sprained right ankle. She suffered the injury in shootaround before the Clemson game and has been sidelined for two weeks. 

Johnson returned to practice this week and should be able to play Thursday night.

“I don’t think she’s going to practice just to practice,” Staley said. “She wants to practice to play, so I think she’ll get out there.”

Johnson averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists and shot 40% from three in two games this season. 

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5. Scouting the Tar Heels
The Gamecocks and Tar Heels have a long history. They used to play nearly every season, but this is the first home-court game since 1989. Then they played neutral site games in Myrtle Beach for years, until 2013. Over the last ten years, they have only met in the NCAA Tournament, but they seem to meet up a lot – they met in 2014, 2015, and 2022, each time in the Sweet 16.

North Carolina managed to stay ranked this week, but barely. The Tar Heels played in the Gulf Coast Showcase Thanksgiving weekend and took their lumps. North Carolina barely beat Vermont, 54-51, and then fell 63-56 to Kansas State and 65-64 to Florida Gulf Coast. 

Offensively, North Carolina has a tendency to become Deja Kelly or bust. Kelly is averaging 16.1 points, but shooting just 38.1%. Kelly, of course, gave South Carolina fits in the 2022 Sweet 16, when she scored 23 points and South Carolina couldn’t stop her from getting to the rim.

“(Kelly has) Everything. Experience. Three-level scorer. Winner, she wants to win. She wants the ball in her hands and she wants to make plays. She did that for them, especially the last time we played,” Staley said. “We’ve got to bring it.”

Boston College transfer Maria Gakdeng is averaging 11.1 points, but nobody else is in double figures. As a team, the Tar Heels are shooting just 40.4% and 25.4% from three. Their defense is strong enough to keep them in games, but they struggle to get baskets when needed.

“They are physical, they play aggressive defense,” Staley said. “They’ll run the gamut at us.”

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