Gamecocks Begin NCAA Tournament Play Friday at Home

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Opens NCAA Tournament vs. Tennessee Tech

The No. 2/2 South Carolina Gamecocks are set to begin their NCAA Tournament run on Friday, March 21, against Tennessee Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 4 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Gamecock Key Facts

South Carolina enters its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance, marking its 13th consecutive bid under the leadership of head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have earned the regional No. 1 seed for the fifth year in a row and the ninth time during Staley’s tenure. Under her guidance, South Carolina remains perfect in first-round games, holding a 12-0 record.

The Gamecocks completed a historic three-peat in both the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships, achieving this feat for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in the past 11 years. Their SEC Tournament title run included a series of impressive victories, including the program’s first-ever win over an AP No. 1 team.

South Carolina’s dominance in the SEC Tournament was evident in the second quarter, where they outscored opponents by an average of 13.3 points, while limiting them to just 21.6 percent shooting during that period.

The Gamecocks currently lead the SEC in both field goal percentage (.465) and field goal percentage defense (.351), ranking 16th and 6th in the nation, respectively, all while competing against the toughest schedule in the country.

Notably, South Carolina leads the nation with 42.6 points in the paint per game, contributing 52.9 percent of their total offense. The team outscored opponents by 16.7 points per game in the paint, with that margin rising to +25.3 points per game during the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks are undefeated (28-0) when they outscore their opponents in the paint.

In a historic achievement, four Gamecocks received All-America honors this week, tying the program’s record. This marks the second time in three seasons that South Carolina has reached this milestone. Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts earned honorable mention recognition from both the USBWA and the AP. Meanwhile, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao were also named to the AP All-America team.

Chloe Kitts has been exceptional since her triple-double performance against Ole Miss on February 27, leading the team with 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, shooting an impressive 64.7 percent.

During the SEC Tournament, Kitts, along with MiLaysia Fulwiley and Sania Feagin, earned All-Tournament honors. Fulwiley averaged 13.0 points per game, leading the team in assists (3.3) and steals (2.7), while Feagin contributed 12.7 points per game on 75.0 percent shooting and added 5.3 rebounds per game.

By the Numbers

• 5 – Five Gamecocks averaged at least 9.5 points and at least 4.0 rebounds during the SEC Tournament.
• 15 – South Carolina played 15 games against ranked opponents this season, just one shy of the program’s single-season record.

The Tennessee Tech Series

South Carolina holds a 4-2 all-time record over Tennessee Tech, with all six meetings occurring before the 1990s. The Gamecocks are 3-1 when playing in Columbia. Their last encounter also took place in the NCAA Tournament, when the 11th-seeded Golden Eagles stunned then-No. 17 South Carolina with a 77-73 win in the first round on March 15, 1989.

Gamecocks Against the Tournament Field

South Carolina has faced 16 of the 68 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament, with three of those teams also in the Birmingham 2 Region. The Gamecocks boast a 17-3 record against those 16 teams, including a stellar 12-1 mark against the nine other SEC teams that made the field. Among the teams they played are UCLA, Duke, Iowa State, Michigan, NC State, TCU, and UConn. The 16 teams include two No. 1 seeds, four No. 2 seeds, two No. 3 seeds, a No. 4 seed, three No. 5 seeds, a No. 6 seed, a No. 7 seed, a No. 9 seed, and a No. 11 seed.

SEC Tournament Recap

South Carolina clinched its third consecutive SEC Tournament title and its ninth overall earlier this month. The Gamecocks made it to the championship game for a record sixth consecutive year in the SEC Tournament.

South Carolina dominated the tournament, winning three games by an average margin of 19.3 points, allowing just 61.0 points per game. Their road to the title included victories over top-10 teams, including a 93-75 win over No. 10 Oklahoma in the semifinals and a 64-45 triumph over No. 1 Texas in the championship game.

Four Gamecocks finished the tournament averaging double-digit points, with Chloe Kitts leading the way as Tournament MVP with 16.7 points per game, along with a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game and an outstanding 74.2 percent shooting from the field. All-Tournament selections included MiLaysia Fulwiley (13.0 points per game) and Sania Feagin (12.7 points per game). Joyce Edwards, in her SEC Tournament debut, averaged 14.7 points per game.