The Gamecocks were actually trailing after the 1st quarter thanks to a hot start by Notre Dame freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo. However, the remaining three quarters were absolutely dominated by USC as reigning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year Kamilla Cardoso and true freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley were unstoppable at times.
Cardoso finished the game with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks on very efficient shooting. Fulwiley stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals on 8-14 from the field. Cardoso was the team’s best player on Monday, while Fulwiley was the team’s most dynamic player.
Fulwiley caught the attention of many on Monday with her highlight-worthy plays. In particular, Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson commented that one particular play from Fulwiley might have been “the best move in all of basketball.”
The 100-71 win saw South Carolina basketball get a really nice performance from newcomer Te-Hina Paopao and important solid showings from returners like Raven Johnson, Ashlyn Watkins, and Sania Feagin.
As she often does, Coach Staley had a pretty tight rotation. After a starting lineup of Te-Hina Paopao-Raven Johnson-Bree Hall-Chloe Kitts-Kamilla Cardoso, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Ashlyn Watkins were the only subs to play substantial minutes before garbage time, but Sania Feagin and Tessa Johnson got in early, too.