Chloe Kitts Leads South Carolina to Victory Over Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

Chloe Kitts Shines in South Carolina’s 84-63 SEC Tournament Quarterfinal Win Over Vanderbilt

In their postseason opener, the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team dominated the Vanderbilt Commodores, securing an impressive 84-63 victory in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Chloe Kitts was the standout performer, leading the charge with a career-high 25 points, shooting an outstanding 12-of-14 from the field. She also contributed 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in just 29 minutes of play. After the game, Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks’ head coach, was quick to highlight Kitts’ exceptional performance.

Kitts, reflecting on her career-high outing, said, “I just wanted to win so bad, so I was just being aggressive.”

Staley praised Kitts for her consistency, telling reporters, “This is really who Chloe is. [She’s] starting to play very consistent basketball. She wants the ball in her hands, she wants to be a playmaker, she wants to be the one that can score or dish it to a teammate. I thought her teammates did a really good job at finding her, I thought she did a really good job of just making a play.”

Staley didn’t hold back in her praise, adding, “We called her number and she delivered for us. I would imagine this is how she envisioned her entire season going, but it didn’t go that way. It was a little bit up and down, inconsistent. But Chloe is strong enough mentally and physically to handle the rigors of this league.”

Staley further emphasized the importance of Kitts’ resilience, stating, “No one’s going to dominate every single night. But if you don’t have the mental fortitude to push through the ups and downs, you won’t see consistent play like this at any point in the season.”

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SEC Tournament Semifinals: South Carolina Defeats Oklahoma 93-75

The Lady Gamecocks are heading to the SEC Championship game after a dominant 93-75 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the semifinal round. This victory further solidifies their impressive season in the SEC, with their only loss being to Texas during the regular season. South Carolina will face the winner of the LSU vs. Texas matchup in the final.

Having finished the regular season with a 15-1 conference record, South Carolina shared the SEC regular season title with Texas. A coin flip ultimately awarded the Gamecocks the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

In the semifinal clash, Joyce Edwards was a standout, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds. MiLaysia Fulwiley contributed 19 points, while Sania Feagin added 14 points to the scoreline.

South Carolina is now in pursuit of their third consecutive conference title, having won four of the last five championships, with the exception of the 2022 season. As the defending national champions, the Gamecocks are positioning themselves for a strong NCAA Tournament run.

The SEC Championship game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.