South Carolina women's basketball defense locks down East Carolina 73-36

South Carolina women’s basketball dispatched East Carolina 73-36 on Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina, to wrap up 2023 with an unblemished record.

Despite a slow start on offense, No. 1 South Carolina (12-0) was able to lock in defensively and hold East Carolina (7-4) to shoot under 20% from the field. The Gamecocks picked up the scoring after the first quarter, and three players scored in double digits.

South Carolina found its stroke in the second quarter, shooting 53% from the field after only hitting 27% in the first quarter.

The Gamecocks are off to a 12-0 start for the third consecutive season, once again entering SEC play undefeated. South Carolina plays at Florida (9-3) on Thursday (7 p.m., SEC Network).

"This game was really an important game for us to play against that kind of competition on the road as we actually go on the road to play Florida next week," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said.

Gamecocks’ defense locks down Pirates

The Pirates struggled against the Gamecocks’ defense, shooting just 19.4%.

East Carolina made two of its 12 3-point attempts and didn’t score more than 11 points in a quarter.

The Pirates leading scorer, sophomore forward Amiya Joyner, scored all 10 of her points in the first half. Before the second half started, Joyner went to the bench with a cramp. The Pirates also lost starting guard Micah Dennis to a knee injury early in the second quarter.

Graduate student guard Danae McNeal, the 2019 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and East Carolina's leading scorer, scored five points on 2-of-16 shooting.

"We played different people on her," Staley said. "Some had some length, some played underneath her. I thought we made it tough for her to get any clean looks."

South Carolina’s depth shines

Staley showcased the Gamecocks' depth, giving all 11 players at least 10 minutes on the floor.

Freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley and senior center Kamilla Cardoso each scored 12 to lead South Carolina, while sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins added 11 points in just 12 minutes.

Seven players scored at least five points for the Gamecocks, who shot 38.5% from 3-point range and 41% from the floor. The team also had only 11 turnovers, an aspect of the game Staley said the Gamecocks wanted to focus on Saturday.

"We made a concerted effort to take care of the basketball," Staley said. "We probably didn't produce any more points because we missed a lot of free throws and we missed a lot of layups."

Te-Hina Paopao’s shooting revives Gamecocks offense

With the offense struggling to find ways to score in the first half, senior guard Te-Hina Paopao brought South Carolina’s offense back to life.

Paopao’s 3-pointer with seven minutes left in the first half broke a 1-for-8 shooting drought for the Gamecocks. She hit another 3-pointer on the next possession and finished 3-of-5, scoring all nine of her points from beyond the arc.

After shooting 25% from the field to start, South Carolina proceeded to make its next six shots. It went on a 15-1 run over that time, building a 20-point lead.

"We did start off a little slower than usual, but we knew to trust our instincts and trust our play," Paopao said. "We just played our game."

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: South Carolina women's basketball shuts down East Carolina 73-36