South Carolina rolled past Penn State with a dominant 95-55 victory on Sunday, and while the final score told part of the story, several key themes stood out from the Gamecocks’ performance.
One of the biggest takeaways was Ta’Niya Latson’s second-half transformation. The junior guard looked like a different player coming out of the locker room, turning the game decisively in South Carolina’s favor. Latson poured in seven points, handed out four assists, and grabbed three steals in the third quarter alone. She closed the night with a well-rounded stat line of 18 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.
Latson’s season has been a work in progress as she continues to settle into her role, and she wasn’t alone in struggling against Penn State’s zone defense early. But once the second half began, she emerged as the dynamic playmaker South Carolina desperately needs.
“Halftime was just a reset button for her,” Maddy McDaniel said. “She was able to come out full speed.”
Despite winning by 40 points, the Gamecocks left even more on the table at the free-throw line. South Carolina went just 15-of-28 (53.6%) from the stripe, an uncharacteristically poor showing. Joyce Edwards finished 2-of-6, Maryam Dauda went 1-of-4, McDaniel was 1-of-3, Adhel Tac missed both attempts, and Tessa Johnson—perfect from the line entering the game—shot 2-of-4.
Coming into the matchup, South Carolina was converting 73.4% of its free throws as a team, a mark that ranked sixth in the SEC and inside the national top 100. However, recent late-game misses against Texas and Louisville, combined with Sunday’s struggles, suggest the issue may be more mental than mechanical.
“We practice them every day. Every single day. There’s not a day that goes by,” Dawn Staley said. “It’s becoming a little mental now. We can’t just say it’s going to fix itself. We probably need to practice a little more over here (at Colonial Life Arena).”
While the offensive fireworks grabbed attention, South Carolina’s defense quietly delivered one of its most impressive performances of the season—despite being without two of its top defenders in Madina Okot and Agot Makeer. Penn State entered the game averaging 82.8 points on 50.4% shooting, including 37.1% from beyond the arc. The Gamecocks completely flipped the script, holding the Lady Lions to just 55 points on 31.5% shooting and a miserable 5-of-26 from three-point range.
South Carolina also neutralized Penn State star Gracie Merkle, who ranks 10th nationally in scoring at 22.3 points per game. Merkle was limited to just nine points thanks to physical, disciplined post defense.
“We wanted to make sure that she didn’t get any direct passes in to her,” Staley said. “When the ball goes in the air, we didn’t go for the ball, we maintained contact with her and crowded her space.”
The Gamecocks’ defense has been uneven at times this season, but on Sunday, it was locked in from start to finish—an encouraging sign as South Carolina continues to navigate injuries and prepares for tougher tests ahead.
