Breaking : “Gamecock Women Dominate SEC! Perfect First Half Sealed with Thrilling Win Over Tennessee!”

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — South Carolina has never been known for its shooting prowess at Food City Center, and Monday night was no exception. Yet, despite their struggles, the second-ranked Gamecocks managed to secure a 70-63 victory over No. 18 Tennessee, extending their perfect record in the first half of the Southeastern Conference schedule to 8-0. The win marked the Lady Vols’ third consecutive loss and left the Gamecocks (20-1, 8-0 SEC) both puzzled and relieved as they reviewed the postgame stats.

South Carolina shot 46 percent from the field, a figure that seemed improbable given their sloppy turnovers and missed layups. However, Tennessee’s shooting was even worse, managing just 30.7 percent on their home court. It was as if the bright orange of the Lady Vols’ uniforms had a more detrimental effect on their own players than on the Gamecocks.

Tennessee (15-5, 3-5 SEC), with head coach Kim Caldwell back on the bench after the birth of her first child earlier in the week, started strong. They led 14-5 late in the first quarter, capitalizing on USC’s struggles against their press defense, frequent substitutions, and inability to secure long rebounds. Offensively, the Gamecocks couldn’t buy a basket early on.

But freshman Joyce Edwards, who has emerged as a key scorer for USC, broke the drought with a fast-break layup. She followed it up with another basket, helping the Gamecocks narrow the gap to just one point by the end of the first quarter. South Carolina then took control in the second quarter, going on an 18-1 run to build a commanding lead. Despite a late surge by Tennessee that cut a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, USC held on, thanks in part to Edwards’ clutch scoring down the stretch.

The Gamecocks’ recent wins haven’t been pretty, but they’ve found ways to grind out victories. Even when Tennessee played their best basketball in the first quarter and the final six minutes, South Carolina managed to overcome their own struggles and leave Knoxville with a win. And with no return trip to Food City Center scheduled this season, the Gamecocks will gladly take the result, no matter how ugly it looked at times.