MiLaysia Fulwiley leads South Carolina women's basketball in 99-29 rout of Presbyterian

COLUMBIA — South Carolina women's basketball routed Presbyterian 99-29 at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday, extending its program-record home win streak to 48 games.

The No. 1 Gamecocks (10-0) flexed their depth against the Blue Hose (7-4) with seven players scoring in double-digits. All 11 players on South Carolina's roster saw the court, and all logged at least two points and a rebound.

Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins each recorded a double-double, Watkins with 10 points and 12 rebounds and Kitts with 11 and 10. Star center Kamilla Cardoso was one rebound shy of the milestone, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-of-8.

MiLaysia Fulwiley shines in second career start

South Carolina opted to rest starting point guard Raven Johnson, but star freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley didn't miss a beat stepping into her spot. She scored eight points in her first four minutes on the court behind back-to-back long 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA women's basketball scores, schedules, teams and more.

The 5-foot-10 guard was also a force on defense, recording a career-best three blocks plus four steals. She didn't give up a single turnover or commit a foul, and six of her seven rebounds came on defense.

"She looked comfortable, and that's what you want," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. "She's playing really at a high level on both sides of the basketball. She didn't have a turnover which is always good, and she's a stat filler. I'm just really happy for her. Hopefully she can continue to stack days and continue to give us that kind of output."

South Carolina's shooting stays hot

The Gamecocks rank No. 2 in the country in field goal percentage and No. 7 in 3-point shooting, and they lived up to that billing against Presbyterian. Though the team cooled off a bit in the second half, it still finished hitting 52.1% from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range after completing 59% from the field and 58.3% from beyond the arc in the first half.

South Carolina held the Blue Hose to just 15.6% from the field, and four of their 10 field goals came on 3-pointers. The only stat matchup Presbyterian won was at the free throw line, sinking 62.5% to the Gamecocks' 61.9%. However, South Carolina limited that impact by sending Presbyterian to the line just eight times on six fouls.

Gamecocks dominate Presbyterian on defense

South Carolina crushed the Blue Hose in rebounding margin, grabbing 55 boards to Presbyterian's 33. The Gamecocks were particularly dominant on the defensive end, out-rebounding Presbyterian 36-16 compared to just 19-17 on offense.

Presbyterian is the fourth team this season the Gamecocks have held under 40 points, and they also forced a season-high 21 turnovers. The team's 17 blocks were also a season high led by seven from Cardoso and five from Ashlyn Watkins. Five different players contributed at least two steals to the team's total of 14.

"Individuals are getting better in their effort, and collectively I just feel like they're trusting each other a lot more," Staley said. "We still have to do it and do it well and consecutively once we get into conference play ... but we are certainly trending in the right direction.

Follow South Carolina women's basketball reporter Emily Adams on X @eaadams6 and subscribe to The Greenville News for exclusive Gamecocks content: https://subscribe.greenvilleonline.com/offers.