COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joyce Edwards amassed 27 points and eight rebounds, as the No. 1 seed South Carolina secured its 17th consecutive home women’s NCAA tournament victory with a 103-34 rout of 16th-seeded Southern on Saturday.
Edwards, alongside the Gamecocks (32-3), initiated the contest with a decisive 15-0 surge and maintained unwavering pressure against the Jaguars (20-14), the reigning champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Having already established a 25-point lead by halftime, South Carolina further extended its dominance by outscoring Southern 32-2 in the third quarter.
South Carolina swiftly found its stride, with Edwards netting the game’s initial two baskets. Ta’Niya Latson then contributed five additional points during the opening surge, as Southern began with a 0-for-7 shooting slump and six turnovers.
Latson concluded the game with 17 points, while Madina Okot and Agot Makeer each tallied 15 points. Tessa Johnson recorded 14 points and achieved a personal-best of 10 rebounds.
Southern had previously secured its second NCAA Tournament triumph in the First Four stage, overcoming Samford 65-53. The Jaguars had also vanquished UC San Diego in that very round last year, prior to suffering a decisive 84-46 defeat at the hands of Final Four contender UCLA.
On this occasion, the Jaguars encountered a South Carolina squad eager to commence the tournament play, especially after experiencing a disheartening 78-61 setback against Texas in the SEC tournament championship on March 8.
Jocelyn Tate registered 10 points, pacing Southern’s offensive efforts.
South Carolina is slated to compete next against either the No. 8 seed Clemson or the No. 9 seed Southern California in Monday’s second-round matchup.