South Carolina WBB plays with fire but is able to get the job done against No. 8 Duke

South Carolina women's basketball seemed to be cruising against No. 8 Duke the entire first half and at the start of the second half as the Gamecocks got as much as a 20-point lead over the Blue Devils. However, when the Blue Devils put the pressure on the Gamecocks, South Carolina was able to pull it together and keep a comfortable lead to secure the win.

Junior forward Chloe Kitts was the star of the show for South Carolina, with a dominant performance in the paint and securing her third double-double of the season. Kitts led the team with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kitts has done a great job of trying to fill the hole that Kamilla Cardoso left when she went to the WNBA.

Kitts' counterpart Sania Feagan also had a big night with 11 points but only one rebound, but that could have been because Kitts was a madman on the boards. South Carolina star Te-Hina Paopao had the best performance by a guard last night with 11 points, while Raven Johnson helped out the rest of the team with four assists.

The Gamecocks started off the game fast jumping to a commanding lead early, but as the halftime loomed, the Blue Devils woke up a bit and brought the game within 12 again. The defense was key for the Gamecocks though as they were monsters on shots with eight blocks against Duke with Ashlyn Watkins leading the way with three.

In the second half, things got dicey when South Carolina reached a lead of 20, head coach Dawn Staley decided to pull some of her starters feeling like the game was in hand in the fourth quarter, but the Blue Devils made quick work of the Gamecock reserves closing South Carolina's lead down to just 10.

At that point, Staley put her starters back in, and for the rest of the game, Duke was only able to get as close as eight or nine points behind South Carolina, but the Gamecocks had great clock management, using the entirety of the shot clock. They also got great shots each possession, so they went with the hot hand in Kitts, who just pounded the ball inside.

South Carolina passed yet another test against a ranked opponent, but they aren't done yet. The Gamecocks are set to take on No. 9 TCU on Sunday, December 8, at Noon, where they will meet up with a familiar face as they will see Hailey Van Lith, the former LSU Tiger, who is now playing for the Horned Frogs.