After a tight first half, a depleted South Carolina squad flipped the switch after halftime, overwhelming Penn State in the third quarter on the way to a 95-55 blowout win.
The Gamecocks carried a 46-34 lead into the break but had been unable to fully shake the Lady Lions. Penn State controlled the boards early, attacked the paint and disrupted South Carolina with a 2-3 zone that stalled the Gamecocks’ halfcourt offense.
That changed immediately coming out of the locker room.
Rather than grinding against the zone, South Carolina pushed the pace. The Gamecocks opened the third quarter with nine straight points — all in transition — setting the tone for what became a decisive run.
“Obviously, it was the first three possessions,” Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger said. “Turn it over, take long twos, we call them shot turnovers. All of a sudden, it was 9-0 in the third quarter, and obviously, you can’t start that way.”
After Penn State’s Gracie Merkle briefly stopped the surge, South Carolina responded with 10 more unanswered points, eight of them coming on the break. In all, the Gamecocks dominated the third quarter 29-9, fueled by 19 transition points and 15 points off eight Penn State turnovers.
“It was probably a product of our defense and rebounding,” Dawn Staley said. “We gave up 22 offensive rebounds so a lot of times they were getting their own rebound and making us play a little bit longer. We got rebounds, and we pushed, and we saw people up the floor.”
Joyce Edwards delivered a career night, pouring in a personal-best 29 points while also setting new highs with six steals. She added five assists, four blocks and four rebounds, impacting the game on both ends. At times, the 6-foot-3 Edwards was tasked with defending Penn State’s 6-foot-6 Merkle, using her quickness to deny post entry passes.
“She’s playing really lose and finding a way to impact the game through an entire stat line,” Staley said. “Do we want the rebounding to be a little bit better? Yes, we do. But the other stuff, the five assists and no turnovers, the six steals and four blocks, that is who she is. We are working with her to be more than a scorer, because she is one that can pretty much fill a stat sheet.”
Ta’Niya Latson followed with 18 points, scoring all but five after halftime. She also posted season highs with eight assists and four steals, along with six rebounds. Her ability to break down the zone off the dribble unlocked South Carolina’s offense in the second half.
“Ta’Niya does best when she gets off to a good start. I thought she got off to a good start because she had a lot of assists,” Staley said. “We try to manufacture some touches to where she’s in a comfort zone. Sometimes she makes them, sometimes she doesn’t, but I don’t want her to get rattled.”
Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson each chipped in 15 points. Raven filled the box score with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Tessa added six rebounds to her scoring output.
Already operating with just 10 available players for the season, South Carolina entered Sunday down to eight active players. Starter Madina Okot, who averages a double-double, and key reserve Agot Makeer suited up and warmed up with the team. However, roughly 30 minutes before tipoff, the Gamecocks announced neither would play. Both watched from the bench in sweats alongside Chloe Kitts, who is sidelined for the season. After the game, Staley said Okot and Makeer are “day-to-day.”
With Okot out, Adhel Tac earned her second straight start, finishing with two points and three rebounds in 15 minutes. Maryam Dauda logged a season-high 24 minutes off the bench, contributing three points and three rebounds.
Penn State was led by Kiyomi McMiller’s 22 points, though she shot just 9-of-27 and committed eight turnovers. Merkle, who entered the game averaging 22.3 points on a nation-leading 74.6% shooting, was limited to nine points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes before fouling out. She went 4-of-6 from the field, but South Carolina consistently fronted the post and denied clean entry passes.
“They did a great job three-quarter,” Kieger said. “We couldn’t get any passes inside. We’ve got to be able to generate some things off play breakdowns instead of just always be sets.”
Notes: Philadelphia native Shayla Smith scored a career-high 13 points, all in the first half, breaking some of Dawn Staley’s Philadelphia scoring records. Penn State outrebounded South Carolina 51-43 but was only plus-two on the glass in the second half, converting 22 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points. South Carolina shot 50.7% from the floor and held Penn State to 31.5%. The Lady Lions committed 26 turnovers, 17 on steals, leading to 33 Gamecock points. Penn State managed just five points off five South Carolina turnovers. The teams will meet again in a return game at Penn State in 2027. Staley wore a white sweater with garnet trim over a Balenciaga shirt. Announced attendance was 15,601. South Carolina’s next game is Thursday at South Florida.
