After opening the season with a high-scoring win in Paris, No. 1 South Carolina travels to Charlotte for the Ally Tipoff, where it meets No. 12 North Carolina (No. 11 in the coaches poll). The Gamecocks and Tar Heels play the second game of a doubleheader at Spectrum Center on Sunday, Nov. 8. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Gamecock Notables
South Carolina is making its second appearance at the Ally Tipoff in three seasons and has signed on for the next two as well, with UConn on the schedule in 2027 and N.C. State in 2028. That final date will be a rematch of the Gamecocks’ debut at the event, a 71-57 victory on Nov. 10, 2024.
The season opener against Maryland, ranked No. 20 in one poll and No. 17 in the other, was a scoring showcase. South Carolina put up 101 points on Nov. 2, its 10th game of 100 or more since Nov. 7, 2025. It was also the program’s sixth 100-point game against a ranked opponent, and all six have come under Dawn Staley.
Individual Standouts from the Opener
– Agot Makeer: The sophomore picked up where last season ended, scoring a career-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. She went a perfect 4-of-4 from three, with her first two coming in the opening two minutes to set the tone.
– Tessa Johnson: The senior has taken over point guard duties and led the team with five assists while adding 15 points. Between her scoring and passing, she accounted for 25.7 percent of South Carolina’s total offense.
– Joyce Edwards: The junior forward led the team with 23 points, the 40th time she has done so in her career. She scored 13 in the second quarter on 6-of-8 shooting and sits 34th nationally in scoring average.
– Chloe Kitts: The fifth-year forward’s court vision from the high post was a major asset two seasons ago, and it was back on display in her return. She tied for the team high with five assists, three of them in the fourth quarter to teammates in the paint.
– Ashlyn Watkins: The fifth-year forward blocked two shots to move into the program’s all-time top 10 with 144, getting there in 12 fewer games than anyone else on the list. She also scored all seven of her points in the fourth quarter as South Carolina held off the Terrapins.
– Jerzy Robinson: The freshman handled the spotlight of a big opener, finishing with 15 points and six rebounds. She scored eight in the fourth quarter, including three free throws in the final 36 seconds.
By the Numbers
– 3: Three of South Carolina’s first four games are against top-20 teams, all on neutral courts.
– 5: The Gamecocks placed five players on ESPN’s list of the top 50 players in women’s college basketball, more than any other team.
– 18: South Carolina’s 101-point opener has it 18th nationally in scoring offense this week.
The Border Series
The series is knotted at 11-11 after South Carolina won the last four meetings, three of them in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks are 5-4 against the Tar Heels in the Staley era, with their most recent loss coming in the 2014 Sweet 16. When both teams are ranked, South Carolina holds a 4-3 edge.
The teams last played twice in 2023-24. The then-top-ranked Gamecocks rallied to beat then-No. 24 North Carolina in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Nov. 30, 2023. They later routed the Tar Heels 88-41 in Columbia in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Kitts and Watkins, both sophomores at the time, scored in double figures in each game.
A Schedule Built for March
Staley has long used a demanding schedule to prepare her teams for the NCAA Tournament, and this season is no different. Fifteen of South Carolina’s 32 games are against teams ranked in the preseason polls, and six of those are against top-10 opponents:
– vs. No. 3 Southern Cal (Nov. 15)
– vs. No. 2 UConn (Nov. 24)
– at No. 4 Duke (Dec. 3)
– at No. 6 Texas (Jan. 3)
– No. 8 Vanderbilt and No. 9 LSU (Feb. 21)
Eight of the 15 ranked matchups are non-conference games, and 11 are away from Columbia, five on the road and six at neutral sites.
ESPN’s Top 50
ESPN released its first list of the top 50 players in the sport, and South Carolina led all programs with five entries, all in the top 31. Freshmen were not eligible for this initial ranking but can earn a spot as the season goes on.
– No. 6: Joyce Edwards, after back-to-back All-America seasons
– No. 15: Tessa Johnson, recognized for steady improvement throughout her career
– No. 27: Chloe Kitts, in her return from injury
– No. 30: Jordan Lee, a transfer
– No. 31: Agot Makeer
Shooting from Deep
South Carolina is eighth nationally in three-point percentage after connecting on 50.0 percent of its attempts against Maryland. Johnson, who finished last season fourth in the country at .448, made 2 of 4 in Paris. Makeer set the tone, though. Her perfect 4-of-4 night leads the nation in three-point percentage and puts her 27th in made threes per game.
