Chloe Kitts Posts Second Straight Double-Double as South Carolina Beats Clemson for 16th Consecutive Time
South Carolina struggled to score against Clemson in the first half Thursday, and at the break, the Gamecocks looked to forward Chloe Kitts to turn things around.
On the first possession of the third quarter, Kitts passed to an open Joyce Edwards under the basket. Edwards missed both the layup and the putback, but Kitts grabbed the offensive rebound and drew a foul. She made both free throws, which mattered because South Carolina had hit only half of its foul shots to that point. That sequence started a dominant third quarter for the Gamecocks.
“I’m feeling more comfortable game in and game out,” Kitts said. “My team needs me to rebound, so really, I just try to grab every rebound I can.”
Kitts kept South Carolina in the game for much of the afternoon, and she scored six points and pulled down five rebounds in the third quarter alone. That allowed coach Dawn Staley to rest her starters in the fourth. Kitts finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, her second consecutive double-double.
The performance is notable because Kitts is only 12 months removed from a torn ACL that kept her out all of last season. She contributed in scoring, passing, rebounding and defense, and showed the competitive drive that earned her the nickname “Big Chlo.”
She played that way down the stretch of the 2024-25 season, earning honorable mention All-America honors, SEC Tournament MVP and SEC Region MVP while helping lead the Gamecocks to the Final Four.
“It means a lot,” Tessa Johnson said. “She’s a big, dominant presence. All of us have our own piece, and the fact that she’s able to do it- we expect that from her. She’s consistent with it, and she wants to win. She’s very competitive, and you can see that out there on the court.”
Her competitive streak showed after the game too. Following South Carolina’s 16th straight win over Clemson, Kitts was asked whether the matchup was still a rivalry.
“Um, no, sir,” she said.
She then partially walked it back, saying, “I mean, our football (teams).” She also asked Staley whether she should have said that, though she covered her face during the exchange, so the conversation could not be heard.
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