South Carolina Women’s Basketball: MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards Shine in Dominant Win at Vanderbilt

In a dominant performance, the No. 6 South Carolina women’s basketball team crushed Vanderbilt 82-54, powered by career games from MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards. The Gamecocks took control in the second half after leading by 10 points at halftime.

Fulwiley made an immediate impact when she entered the game midway through the first quarter. She contributed six points during an 8-0 run that gave South Carolina a double-digit lead. Despite shooting just 5-21 in the second quarter, Fulwiley’s explosive play helped the Gamecocks maintain their advantage. She finished the half with 15 of her career-high tying 24 points.

Coming out of the break, Khamil Pierre scored the first four points of the third quarter, before Dawn Staley brought Edwards in off the bench. Edwards responded with five straight points and 11 total during a decisive 16-1 run. South Carolina capitalized on defense, turning turnovers into fast breaks and scoring opportunities, with nine points in transition and six from free throws.

Edwards finished the game with a career-high 17 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. She dominated in multiple areas, showcasing her all-around game. The contest also featured two of the top candidates for SEC Freshman of the Year, Edwards and Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes. Blakes, who entered the game averaging 23.4 points, was held to just 19 on 5-15 shooting, along with seven rebounds and three turnovers. While the award isn’t decided by a single game, Edwards certainly won this matchup.

South Carolina shot an impressive 63% in the second half and finished at 46.2% overall, while Vanderbilt struggled, shooting just 30.4%. Te-Hina Paopao contributed 13 points, and the Gamecocks had a significant advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Commodores by 12. South Carolina turned 17 turnovers into 23 points, while Vanderbilt only scored three points off of 13 turnovers.

The Gamecocks had an off-night from beyond the arc, hitting just 5-19 from three, but still found success with 17-27 shooting from the free-throw line. As for the team’s depth, Maryam Dauda contributed three points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes, and Pierre added 14 points and 10 rebounds. All 12 players saw action, with every Gamecock scoring except for Sakima Walker.

Despite 45 fouls being called (23 on South Carolina and 22 on Vanderbilt), no players fouled out. The crowd of 7,805 at the arena witnessed the Gamecocks extend their lead to as much as 30 points in the fourth quarter.

South Carolina’s next challenge is at Ole Miss on Thursday.