MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards have earned well-deserved accolades for their dominant performances last week, leading the No. 6/6 South Carolina Gamecocks to two impressive victories. Fulwiley was named a USBWA Player of the Week, while Edwards picked up her fourth SEC Freshman of the Week award.
Fulwiley led the team in scoring and shooting percentage for the week, averaging 19.5 points per game on a scorching 64.0 percent shooting, including 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Remarkably, she achieved these numbers while playing only 19.7 minutes per game. Against Arkansas, the sophomore guard scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter alone, shooting 4-of-5 from the field and adding two assists, directly contributing to 15 of the team’s 26 points in that period. At Vanderbilt, Fulwiley’s offensive efficiency reached another level. She finished the first quarter with a personal 9-2 run, showcasing her versatility with free throws, a steal and layup, a drive, and a three-pointer. She scored 15 of her SEC-career-high 24 points in the first half. In the third quarter, she punctuated a 16-1 run that sealed the game with a putback and a transition layup.
Edwards was a force in the paint, averaging a double-double for the week with 17.5 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds per game. Against Arkansas, her 18 points marked her third consecutive game leading the team in scoring, including a personal 7-0 run in the third quarter where she scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbed five rebounds. At Vanderbilt, Edwards recorded her second SEC double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, an impressive 10 of which were on the offensive glass, tying the program record for offensive boards in an SEC game. This mark is the fourth-most by a Gamecock in any game and tied Aliyah Boston’s South Carolina freshman record. After Vanderbilt narrowed the gap to six points in the third quarter, Edwards sparked a 16-1 run with the first six points. Nine of her career-high 12 rebounds came in the first half, including eight of the 10 offensive boards.
Joining Fulwiley as USBWA National Players of the Week were Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), Alexis Mark (Portland), JuJu Watkins (Southern Cal), and Riley Weiss (Columbia).
The Gamecocks have their final two SEC regular-season games this week, starting with a trip to Ole Miss on Thursday, February 27, at 9 p.m. ET. They then wrap up the regular season at Colonial Life Arena against their rivals and honor their seniors in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m. ET (ceremony expected to start around 1:40 p.m. ET). For the latest updates on the women’s basketball season, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team on social media (@GamecockWBB).
