Markeshia's Corner: South Carolina takes over Nashville with Oxford trip up next

🏀🔥 Markeshia Grant, who played two seasons for Dawn Staley, provides GamecockCentral readers with analysis of South Carolina women’s basketball. Don’t miss her unique insights and expert takes; sign up for the GamecocksW newsletter. 🔥🏀

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The Gamecocks went into Nashville and took control of the game from start to finish. They won the rebounding battle, dominated the paint, and locked down defensively—holding freshman phenom Mikayla Blakes to just 19 points. But the real story? South Carolina’s bench. They outscored Vandy’s entire team and showed once again that their depth is their biggest weapon. It was a total team effort—the Gamecocks handled business, leaving no doubt in Music City.

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Gamecock game highlights:

South Carolina took over the Music City from start to finish—winning the rebounding batter 47-35 (20 offensive), dominating the paint with 48 points, and letting the bench shine with 56 points, outscoring Vandy’s entire team (56 points). Add 13 steals and 16 dimes, and they put on a show in Nashville.

Standout Performances

Te-Hina Paopao – Stuffing the Stat Sheet

Paopao came out hot, sparking a 7-0 run by herself. She got her first bucket off a BLOB (Baseline out-of-bounds) dime from Raven Johnson, then slashed to the rim on a backdoor cut, finishing off a clean feed from Chloe Kitts. She capped it off with a three, knocking it down behind a Kitts screen. If that wasn’t impressive enough for you, she also stuffed the stat sheet, ending the night with 13 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 rebounds. 

Bench Production – Seatbelt Gang

The Gamecocks’ Seatbelt Gang locked in and delivered again, racking up 56 points off the bench—matching their third-highest total of the season (vs. Arkansas and Wofford), just a step behind their 64-piece against Purdue and 60 against Florida. 

• Joyce Edwards – 17 points, 12 rebounds (10 offensive), 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
• MiLaysia Fulwiley – 24 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and NO TURNOVERS (for the second consecutive game).
• Tessa Johnson and Maddy McDaniel added 5 points apiece, respectively. 
• Maryam Dauda – added 7 rebounds.

MiLaysia Fulwiley Goes Off, Ties Career High in Statement Performance

MiLaysia Fulwiley had herself a day, tying her career high with 24 points on an efficient 10-15 shooting. She stuffed the stat sheet with 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and, for the second straight game, zero turnovers. She’s stepping up at a crucial point in South Carolina’s season, proving she’s built to be a consistent leader. Locked in defensively, she’s creating chaos on one end and capitalizing on the other, turning stops into buckets with ease. We love this Lay Butter. She’s doing what she does best.

Win tickets to Senior Day, South Carolina-Kentucky women’s basketball game

Up Next: South Carolina Gamecocks 25-3 (13-1) vs. Ole Miss Rebels 18-8 (9-5)

South Carolina travels to Oxford and is locked in on their SEC regular season title hopes, while Ole Miss is fighting to lock up a top-four seed and secure that double bye in the SEC tournament. Both teams are coming in hungry, knowing what’s on the line.

Key matchups to watch:

Guard Play vs. Sira Thienou

• Thienou might be a freshman, but she’s the spark plug for Ole Miss. She brings the energy, and she thrives off defense, averaging 2.7 steals per game. She can turn those into quick scoring runs. The Gamecocks will need to match her energy, protect the ball, and make good decisions when she’s defending them. 

Guard Play vs. Kennedy Todd-Williams

• KTW is key for Ole Miss, serving as the engine that drives most of their offense. South Carolina’s guards need to apply pressure, speeding her up and forcing her to think about more than just scoring or running the offense.

Post Play vs. Starr Jacobs

• Starr Jacobs is Ole Miss’ second-leading scorer at 11.5 PPG and best rebounder at 6.8 RPG. She’s always doing the dirty work for her team by crashing the boards hard—looking for putbacks or extra possessions. She’s averaging 3.6 offensive rebounds per game, South Carolina’s bigs have to match her effort, box her out, and keep her off the glass. Offensively, the Gamecocks need to hit her with two moves—she’s always looking to get those big, momentum-shifting blocks.

Post Play vs. Madison Scott

• Madison Scott is the heart of Ole Miss—a true do-it-all player. She leads the team in scoring (12.2 PPG) and takes on the toughest defensive assignments, matching up with the opponent’s best big or forward. Expect her to bring the energy and play with a lot of emotion. South Carolina’s bigs need to disrupt her rhythm, forcing her out of her comfort zone, especially in the mid-range—making her settle for tough shots. If she gets a look, they have to make sure it’s contested. The bigs will need to attack her and make her defend on defense, as she will foul. 

Also, expect Ole Miss to lean on key bench players like UCLA transfer Christeen Iwuala in the post and Florida transfer guard KK Deans, both of whom are ready to make an immediate impact when they hit the floor.

Guard Advantages

• South Carolina rolls with a six-player guard rotation, with each guard bringing a unique dynamic both offensively and defensively.

Post Advantages

• The Gamecocks have strong post depth, with Kitts and Feagin starting, and Edwards, Dauda, Walker, and Tac providing valuable, impactful minutes off the bench.

Gamecocks Advantage

South Carolina’s depth, defensive intensity, rebounding ability, and speed give them the edge.

Keys to the Win

1. Keep the main thing, the main thing – Stay focused and control the pace of the game.       

2. Set the tone early – HIT FIRST. Especially on the road.

3. Lock in on defense – The Gamecocks’ stifling man-to-man defense holds teams more than 20+ points below their season average, so they will need to continue to lock into the scout. 

4. Bench production – South Carolina’s Seatbelt Gang has been dominating, leading the nation in bench points per game. Their depth will be crucial in this matchup.

5. Win the rebounding battle – When the gamecocks win the rebounding battle, they normally win the game. WIN THE PAINT!

6. Take care of the ball – Last time out, the Gamecocks had 16 assists, so sharing the ball and ball movement will be key in this matchup.

7. Force turnovers – South Carolina forces approximately  17 TOs per game, while Ole Miss averages 12 TOs per game.

8. Convert at the free-throw line – South Carolina will get to the line, so they just need to stay focused and capitalize on those opportunities.

9. Play hard, play smart, play disciplined, play and act like champions!

10. Have fun!

Let’s Go Gamecocks!

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🏀🔥 Markeshia Grant, who played two seasons for Dawn Staley, provides GamecockCentral readers with analysis of South Carolina women’s basketball. Don’t miss her unique insights and expert takes; sign up for the GamecocksW newsletter. 🔥🏀

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