COLUMBIA, SC – No. 2/2 South Carolina steps out of SEC action to travel to Coppin State for a noon tipoff on Sun., Jan. 18, at PEC Arena. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Gamecock Notables
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South Carolina is 192-36 in non-conference regular-season games under head coach Dawn Staley, including a 45-13 mark on the road.
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The Gamecocks are 27-0 against HBCU teams in the Staley era (beginning 2008-09). This is the 15th season they are playing at least one HBCU in a season and the 14th in which at least one was a regular-season game. Three of the previous 27 games were NCAA Tournament outings and three were played on the road – at Hampton, at Savannah State, at Alabama State.
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South Carolina’s offensive efficiency, which ranks third in the nation with a .515 field goal percentage, includes 54.3 percent shooting in non-conference play. Six Gamecocks are shooting at least 50.0 from the field in those games, including three hitting at least 60.0 percent.
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The Gamecock defense has locked down opponents to rank 12th in the nation in scoring defense (54.2 ppg) and third in field goal percentage defense (.324). They create some of that inefficiency with blocked shots, ranking fourth in the country with 6.6 per game as they block 16.0 percent of their opponent’s 2-point attempts, which is 10th-best in the NCAA.
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National Player of the Year candidate Joyce Edwards continues to impose her will on the college basketball season, impacting South Carolina’s success in nearly every category on the box score. She is 14th in the nation with 20.3 points per game and 15th in field goal percentage (.592). Since the start of SEC action, her rebounding numbers have risen to move her into the league’s top 20 with 6.4 per game. Her 7.2 rebounds per league contest are 12th-best in the conference. She also holds top-15 spots in the SEC with 1.5 blocks per game (9th), 2.0 steals per game (12th) and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game (2.8). She is also adding 2.4 assists per game.
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Senior point guard Raven Johnson is the engine that has driven South Carolina’s success over the last four seasons, during which the Gamecocks are 125-6 in games she has played. Already among the program’s all-time distributors, she is having the best offensive season of her career with 10.2 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting, including 37.5 percent from 3-point range. Her 52.0 percent shooting in SEC games ranks fifth in the conference.
By the Numbers
5 – Raven Johnson moved into fifth place in program history in career assists (510) with her six assists vs. Texas on Thursday.
23.4 – South Carolina is second in the nation with 23.4 fast break points per game this season.
127 – The Gamecocks have been ranked in the AP top 10 for the last 127 polls, the longest active streak and eighth longest all-time.
The Coppin State Series
The Gamecocks won the first matchup of this series 92-60 on Nov. 14, 2024, in Columbia. Joyce Edwards and Maryam Dauda each scored 10 points in their debut seasons with the Gamecocks. South Carolina led 23-16 after the first quarter and continued to stretch the lead over the remaining periods, finishing the game with 51.5 percent shooting.
Paint Production
South Carolina has long controlled the paint, and this season is no different, even with a guard-dominated roster.
Scoring 55.5 percent of the their total points in the paint, the Gamecocks are second in the nation with a 49.2 average in that space and are out-scoring opponents in inside by an average of 27.2 points, including a +15.6 edge in SEC action. They tied the program record for single-game paint points in back-to-back outings with 74 at USF (Dec. 18) and at FGCU (Dec. 20).
The Gamecocks are shooting 62.3 percent in the paint compared to opponents’ 40.6 percent accuracy.
Mighty Mouse
Sophomore point guard Maddy McDaniel, whose nickname is Mouse, is a spark of energy and speed off the bench. She has started to string together solid performances in practices and games as the calendar changed to 2026.
Through five league games this season, McDaniel leads the league with a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and handing out 3.0 assists in her 23.7 minutes per SEC game.
