COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball begins its quest for another successful Women’s NCAA Tournament, starting with No. 16 seed Southern.
Southern beat Samford in a First Four game, advancing to play the No. 1 seeded Gamecocks (31-3) in the first round on March 21 (1 p.m. ET, ABC).
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South Carolina’s Dawn Staley is coaching in her 14th straight March Madness and is a No. 1 seed for the 10th time.
Here’s what to know about the Jaguars (20-13) ahead of tip-off in Colonial Life Arena.
Southern women’s basketball repeated as SWAC tournament champions
Southern repeated as Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament champions, beating Alabama State 73-56 to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Jaguars finished third in the SWAC with a 12-6 record.
They have a four-game win streak, including the 65-53 win over Samford on March 19.
Southern led SWAC in 3-point shooting, steals per game
The Jaguars are a productive 3-point shooting team, shooting a conference-high 32.8%. They take an average of 15.3 attempts from behind the arc, making an average of five.
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South Carolina is second in the SEC in 3-point shooting, slightly behind Southern at 37.1%. The Gamecocks do take more threes per game at 16.3 and are making 6.1 of their attempts.
On the defensive end, the Jaguars average 11.6 steals per game which is top of their conference and 21st in the nation.
Ball protection was a big issue in South Carolina’s SEC Tournament championship loss to Texas, so cleaning up turnovers will be a point of emphasis facing another strong defensive team.
DeMya Porter leads Southern in scoring
Sophomore 6-foot-1 forward DeMya Porter averages a team-high 9.8 points per game and 5.3 rebounds, which is the second most for Southern.
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She’s coming off a double-double against Samford, scoring 15 points with 12 rebounds and one block in the win.
What South Carolina players said about Southern
The Gamecocks were scouting their opponent during the First Four game, with star point guard Raven Johnson noticing “their aggressiveness,” adding that “they looked ready to play yesterday and we’re just going to have to scout that and adjust.”
Tessa Johnson agreed, adding that “(South Carolina) can’t really take any team for granted in March. I think we just need to stick to our good habits and do what we do.”
Dawn Staley on playing Southern
The Jaguars faced seven opponents that have been ranked in the Top 25 so this matchup against South Carolina won’t be entirely new.
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“Southern is super well-coached,” Staley said. “They really understand what they’re doing. They play a battle-tested schedule. They beat a couple of Power Four teams. It is going to take games like that where you have to have eye-opening wins.”
Where is Southern University?
Southern University is an HBCU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
South Carolina vs Southern March Madness prediction
South Carolina 92, Southern 66: Over the last year, the Gamecocks’ average margin of victory the next game after a loss is 29.8. It’s likely that Texas lost left a sour taste.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina vs Southern predictions, expert picks in March Madness
