NCAA women's basketball is off races, as the No. 1 Gamecocks held off the No. 20 Terrapins 101-93 on Monday in a back-and-forth South Carolina vs Maryland offensive dance in Paris.
Coach Dawn Staley’s squad led by as many as 31 in the third quarter, before the Terps battled back behind sophomore guard Addi Mack’s 35 points.
“You don’t want to be on the other end of building a 31-point lead and then have them come all the way back,” said Staley. “But it also puts you in a position where you can learn.”
Five Gamecocks finished the overseas NCAA women's basketball season opener in double-digit scoring, led by 23 points from seasoned junior Joyce Edwards.
Top freshman recruit Jerzy Robinson added 15 points and six rebounds off the bench. Meanwhile, center Chloe Kitts returned from an ACL tear and Ashlyn Watkins saw her first minutes since last year’s extended absence.
“These games are for exposing us to things that we need to get better at,” Staley added. “It was the first game in which this team has taken the floor.”
South Carolina faces No. 12 UNC on Sunday at 5:30 PM ET (ESPN).
