COLUMBIA — A new national championship banner dropped and celebrations ensued for South Carolina women’s basketball‘s home opener. However, for the third-straight game, the Gamecocks got off to a slow start.
Yet another second-half surge carried the No. 1 Gamecocks (3-0) over their opponent, this time a 92-60 victory over Coppin State on Thursday. In the season opener against Michigan, South Carolina barely maintained a lead the entire first half, and on Sunday, it let NC State go on a 9-0 run to close the second quarter.
The Eagles (2-2) had a 16-13 lead with two minutes to play in the opening quarter until a few quick transition baskets put the Gamecocks up 23-16. By halftime they led by 16, then in the third quarter went on a 20-3 run to put the game out of reach.
South Carolina had 10 turnovers in the first half and only three in the second.
“It’s the same team but it’s a new team,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in response to the theme of first-half struggles. “The dynamics are changed, the way we do things have changed, especially offensively.”
Kamilla Cardoso is now in the WNBA so it’s been senior Sania Feagin at center. She started twice last season, played in all 38 and averaged 15 minutes off the bench, but it’s not the same.
“Feagin starting, it’s new for her, and one player can change the whole trajectory, the whole chemistry” Staley said. “I’m not saying it’s her, just the unit playing together. Sometimes she gets off to slow starts, today she got off to a slow start … so it’s her playing that position out.”
Feagin picked up two quick fouls to start the third quarter, and finished with four points, four fouls and three rebounds.
While slow starts are happening, Staley is still figuring out lineups as she’s hasn’t had a full team available. Ashlyn Watkins and Maddy McDaniel weren’t available for the first game. Chloe Kitts wasn’t available Sunday. All three played on Thursday, but sophomore Tessa Johnson sat out with a minor ankle injury.
“It’s hard, it’s hard juggling them,” Stalely said. “Especially for our bigs.”
Kitts finished with 19 points in 22 minutes. Freshman Joyce Edwards played 20 minutes, mainly in Feagin’s spot, with Watkins, transfer Maryam Dauda and Adhel Tac splitting minutes off the bench as a post.
Starting guards Raven Johnson and Bree Hall were a combined 1-for-8 from the field in the first half, and 1-for-2 from 3-point range. Raven Johnson didn’t score Thursday, had only four points Sunday and two points on free throws against Michigan. Hall hasn’t scored in double-digits yet.
MiLaysia Fulwiley had a team-high 23 points.
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Staley said it’s not hard managing minutes for the guards, even with Tessa Johnson, Fulwiley and McDaniel coming off the bench, but something isn’t right so far.
“Our guards are not connected for some reason or another, they’re pressing a little bit, natural, we’ll get back into the flow of things,” said Staley.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley tries to explain slow starts for South Carolina basketball
