South Carolina Basketball: 3 thumbs up, 3 thumbs down vs. Duke

Thumbs Up. It was obvious that Dawn Staley emphasized outside shooting this offseason. After the way the Gamecocks struggled so mightily to put the ball through the hoop from outside last season, Coach Staley vowed to make sure that was not her team’s reality ever again. The additions of Te-Hina Paopao, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Tessa Johnson and the improvement of Raven Johnson and Bree Hall have gone a long way in that regard, and Sunday showed it. Hall, Johnson, Paopao, and Fulwiley went 9-14 from behind the arc as the team shot 60% for the game from the perimeter. For a team that is as talented as the South Carolina basketball squad, it is almost impossible to lose when shooting so well.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. PERIMETER PROFICIENCY

Thumbs Up. MiLaysia Fulwiley did not play very well in limited minutes against North Carolina. When asked after the game about her star freshman, coach Dawn Staley said that she would get more minutes when she earned them on the floor. With a nice bounce-back effort on Sunday, Fulwiley did just that. The freshman played the most minutes of any bench Gamecock against Duke, including getting a lot of playing time in the 4th quarter, helping move the game from a close contest to a borderline runaway for her squad. She finished with an efficient 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.. . South Carolina Gamecocks. BOUNCE BACK FOR MILAYSIA

WINNING UGLY (AGAIN) . Thumbs Up. South Carolina basketball “won ugly” on Thursday against North Carolina, and they did it again on Sunday against Duke. As long as they don’t make it a habit, this stretch will be good for the team long term. The Gamecocks had won in five blowouts in their other games this season, so playing competitive basketball is a good thing for Dawn Staley’s team. The Gamecocks played two slower-paced teams in the Tobacco Road rivals, and they came out on top. The most impressive part of the “ugly win” is that Carolina played well in the halfcourt, scoring 49 of their 61 total points from the field after the offense had to slow down. Quality outside shooting and a 4th quarter takeover from Kamilla Cardoso and MiLaysia Fulwiley carried the way offensively, and despite the limited opportunities, Cardoso (14) and Chloe Kitts (9) had nice days rebounding.. . South Carolina Gamecocks