MiLaysia Fulwiley scores a career-high as South Carolina blows out Texas A&M

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Let the hype begin. South Carolina demolished Texas A&M 99-64 on Sunday to set up the highly anticipated game at LSU.

Dawn Staley said earlier in the week that she wasn’t concerned about the Gamecocks looking past the Aggies. She certainly appears to have been right.

South Carolina won the opening tip and Chloe Kitts hit a 15-foot jumper. Then Raven Johnson intercepted a pass and took it the other way for a layup and a 4-0 lead barely more than 30 seconds into the game. 

It was a sign of things to come. South Carolina scored the first 15 points of the game and virtually everything that could have gone wrong for Texas A&M did go wrong. South Carolina got in transition, dominated the paint, and drew fouls on A&M’s frontcourt.

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The Aggies’ first points didn’t come until the 4:42 mark of the first quarter and they trailed 25-8 at the end of the quarter. They finally got some points on the board in the second quarter, but then the Gamecocks ended the half on a 15-2 run. That included seven points in the final 53 seconds, capped by a buzzer-beating three by MiLaysia Fulwiley.

Fulwiley’s three gave South Carolina 54 points in the first half. Entering the game Texas A&M had the nation’s fourth-best scoring defense, allowing just 51.5 points per game. The Aggies gave up more than 72 points just once this season, and South Carolina had 79 after three quarters.

Texas A&M had the nation’s third-best field goal percentage defense at 32.7%, but South Carolina more than doubled that by shooting 67.2%, becoming the first opponent to shoot over 50%. 

Texas A&M entered the game averaging 47.3 rebounds, third in the country, but South Carolina dominated the glass 42-29.

Five Gamecocks scored in double figures, led by Fulwiley’s career-high 21 points. Fulwiley also had three assists. She shot 8-12 from the floor and 3-5 from three, with just two turnovers.

Kamilla Cardoso quietly turned in a strong double-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. Sania Feagin tied her career-high with 15 points, Chloe Kitts had 13 points, ten rebounds, and five assists, and Te-Hina Paopao had 10 points and five assists.

The bad news for Texas A&M began before the game tipped off. Janiah Barker, the Aggies’ third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, was ruled out of the game after not clearing concussion protocol. 

Barker’s absence left the already thin Aggies with even less depth, and forced guard Aicha Coulibaly to move to the forward spot. Coulibaly finished with 10 points but shot just 2-11. Post Lauren Ware, who averages a double-double, got into early foul trouble and finished with four points and six rebounds.

RELATED: South Carolina-Texas A&M box score

Notes:

Sunday was the beginning of “We Back Pat” Week. Both teams wore We Back Pat warmup shirts. … Tessa Johnson fell awkwardly early in the second quarter and was slow getting up. Staley called a timeout to take her out of the game. Johnson went to the locker room and later returned to the bench in warmup clothes with a boot on her left foot. Johnson missed three games with a sprained right ankle early in the season. … South Carolina was assessed an administrative technical in the fourth quarter. Sakima Walker’s number was listed incorrectly on the lineup. Staley laughed off the mistake. … Paopao went 1-3 from three. It was the first game this season she did not make at least two three-pointers in a game. … Every Gamecock except Tessa Johnson scored. … Ashlyn Watkins got in early foul trouble and struggled to find her rhythm. She still notched four points and six rebounds before fouling out in 15 minutes. … Dawn Staley outfit: Staley wore a black sweater over the “We Back Pat” shirt. … Announced attendance was 5,924. … South Carolina’s next game is Thursday at LSU.

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