South Carolina delivered a record-breaking performance Sunday, putting up the most points of the Dawn Staley era in a commanding 121–49 victory over Queens.
But if you asked Staley what she hoped her team would achieve, simply winning probably wasn’t at the top of her priorities. Queens, now in just its fourth season at the Division I level, entered the matchup at 3–2 but had already shown vulnerability — including a six-point loss to Winthrop, a team South Carolina defeated by 50. Expectations were low for resistance, and Queens met those expectations.
The Royals kept things close early, tying the game at 5 after two free throws from Jermany Mapp with 7:12 left in the first quarter. From that moment on, the Gamecocks slammed the door. South Carolina unleashed a 28-0 run, later added an 18-0 burst in the third, and closed with a 21-0 surge in the fourth, completely overwhelming Queens on both ends of the floor.
Joyce Edwards continued her stellar freshman campaign, dropping 25 points — her third 20-plus outing of the season. She did it efficiently in just 25 minutes, shooting 9-for-11 and tallying four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Ta’Niya Laston wasn’t far behind, scoring 24 points with four assists while matching Edwards’ 9-for-11 shooting. She’s been on a tear recently, hitting 16 of her last 21 shots (77.3%) over the past two games.
Madina Okot posted her fourth double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds, alongside three blocks and two steals. Though she missed her first three-point try of the season, she quickly made up for it — grabbing a steal and going coast-to-coast for a layup.
Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson also reached double figures, scoring 13 and 12 respectively. Tessa added five assists and went 3-for-5 from deep, while Raven shot a perfect 2-for-2 from three and handed out seven assists.
For the first time since the season opener against Grand Canyon, South Carolina had a full roster of 10 available players. Backup point guard Maddy McDaniel, out for the last four games due to injury and suspension, made her return to action — giving the Gamecocks even more depth in their dominant afternoon.
