CLEMSON — The opportunities were there, but the shots just wouldn’t fall—no 3-pointers, no mid-range shots, and especially no layups were going in.
So, the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks turned to what they do best during their early-season offensive struggles: defense. They clamped down on Clemson, not allowing easy points in the paint at Littlejohn Coliseum, and waited for their offense to catch up.
A 23-0 run later, the defending national champions secured a 77-45 victory over their archrivals, extending their series-record win streak against the Tigers to 14 games and setting a new program record with 43 consecutive wins.
Was the wait for their offensive spark frustrating? Perhaps. But as Coach Dawn Staley pointed out, the Gamecocks are no longer relying on the dominant center Kamilla Cardoso, who provided instant offense last season. For the first time in a decade, their post game is more “normal.”
“It’s early in the season, and teams are playing us differently,” Staley explained. “Last year, we played freely, with no expectations. We’re still figuring things out. Our defense is probably ahead of our offense right now, but we know we can shoot, we’re just not doing it efficiently.”
When South Carolina’s guards are off—Raven Johnson has struggled since the national championship game, and MiLaysia Fulwiley was just 3-of-11 from the field on Wednesday—it becomes a concern. But even in the second quarter, with Clemson up 17-12 after a 3-pointer from Mia Moore, the Gamecocks found their groove.
The team had its full roster available for the first time this season, with Tessa Johnson returning after missing two games due to an ankle injury. Te-Hina Paopao, who led the Gamecocks with 13 points, said, “We had to get back to our core values, and that’s defense.”
The Gamecocks turned the game around when Bree Hall made a layup, Paopao scored off a Clemson miss, and Ashlyn Watkins added another bucket. The Tigers didn’t score for six minutes, and South Carolina capitalized, taking control of the game. When Hall hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter, the outcome was sealed.
Coach Staley credited the change to simplifying their play: “We were trying to do too much and playing too fast. Clemson made us play at their frantic pace, but we settled in.”
South Carolina’s defense was stifling. The Tigers, under first-year coach Shawn Poppie, committed 19 turnovers and shot just 25.5 percent, making only 5 of 27 layups. South Carolina wasn’t perfect either—still struggling with finishing at the rim (25 of 47 layups made)—but their defensive run gave them the momentum they needed. Watkins posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and five other players scored between 7 and 8 points.
Freshman Maddy McDaniel, expected to be a secondary point guard and dealing with a minor knee issue, continued to impress, playing steady, confident basketball and even blocking a shot.
“I love great point-guard play,” Staley said. “Maddy is solid. If she keeps playing like this, she’ll continue to earn minutes.”
The Gamecocks’ 43 consecutive wins surpassed the previous program record of 42, set under Staley and ending in the 2023 Final Four. South Carolina has now won 85 of their last 86 games.
The Gamecocks will face No. 5 UCLA at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
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