COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — The top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks used a dominant first half to cruise past the Georgia Bulldogs 65-43 in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Colonial Life Arena. South Carolina built a 30-14 halftime lead, holding Georgia to just seven points in each of the first two quarters. The Bulldogs showed life with a 19-point third quarter but could not significantly close the gap against the deeper Gamecocks. A crowd of 15,536 watched South Carolina improve to 17-1 overall. Georgia fell to 15-3. The Gamecocks’ defense was stifling, and their balanced scoring attack proved too much for Georgia, which struggled offensively throughout. South Carolina maintained its perfect conference record with the wire-to-wire victory.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — The South Carolina Gamecocks, powered by a dominant interior presence and stifling defense, methodically dispatched the Georgia Bulldogs 65-43 in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at a sold-out Colonial Life Arena. A crowd of 15,536 watched the No. 1 Gamecocks (17-1, 3-0 SEC) control the game from the opening tip, holding the visiting Bulldogs (15-3, 1-2) to a season-low in points and their worst shooting performance of the year. Georgia managed just 27% from the field, connecting on 17 of 63 attempts, and was held to a paltry 14 points in the paint. The most important part of the game was South Carolina’s immediate and overwhelming establishment of defensive control in the first half, which rendered Georgia’s offense ineffective and created an insurmountable deficit. The Bulldogs, coming off a tough loss to LSU, were ice-cold from the start, scoring only seven points in each of the first two quarters. They missed 12 of their first 13 shots and committed 10 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, allowing South Carolina to build a 30-14 halftime lead despite its own early shooting struggles from beyond the arc. South Carolina’s offense was not sharp early, but its defense and rebounding created a relentless stream of second chances and high-percentage looks. The Gamecocks outrebounded Georgia 53-38 overall and grabbed 14 offensive boards, leading to a commanding 38-14 advantage in points in the paint. Madina Okot, the 6-foot-6 center from Mumias, Kenya, was the top star for South Carolina, recording a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, adding two blocks. Her presence in the lane altered countless Georgia attempts and anchored the defensive effort. Joyce Edwards, a forward from Camden, added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Raven Johnson chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Agot Makeer of Thunder Bay, Canada, contributed eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks off the bench. For Georgia, only Rylie Theuerkauf of Tenafly, N.J., reached double figures, scoring 16 points, but she needed 37 minutes to do so on 6-of-17 shooting. Trinity Turner of Orlando, Fla., posted eight points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Zhen Craft of Waldorf, Md., added 11 points and eight rebounds. The Bulldogs’ offensive rating of 55.6 points per 100 possessions underscored the difficulty of operating against South Carolina’s defensive scheme. The Gamecocks slowly extended their lead in the third quarter, pushing it to 48-30 heading into the final period. Georgia showed a brief spark with a 7-0 run early in the fourth, capped by a Theuerkauf 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 50-37 with 8:47 remaining. However, South Carolina responded immediately with a Raven Johnson pull-up jumper and never allowed the Bulldogs within 15 points again, closing the game on a 15-6 run. South Carolina, which came into the game as a heavy 31.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, improved its home record to 9-0 this season. The total score of 108 fell well under the pregame over/under line of 140.5, a testament to the defensive struggle. Georgia, which had won 15 of its first 17 games, has now dropped two straight conference contests. The Bulldogs will look to rebound next Sunday when they host Mississippi. South Carolina continues its SEC slate Thursday, hosting Texas in a marquee conference matchup.

Top-10 Clash Set for Colonial Life Arena as South Carolina Hosts Georgia COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — A marquee Southeastern Conference women’s basketball showdown is set for Sunday when the South Carolina Gamecocks host the Georgia Bulldogs at Colonial Life Arena. The matchup features two of the nation’s premier teams, with South Carolina (16-1, 3-0 SEC) riding a 10-game winning streak and Georgia (15-2, 1-2 SEC) looking to rebound from a conference road loss. The Gamecocks’ lone defeat came against then-Texas in November, while the Bulldogs’ losses are to LSU and Mississippi, both in SEC play. South Carolina, the perennial powerhouse, has dominated its schedule, winning its last four games by an average of 33.5 points. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards has been a force, averaging 22.3 points and 6.3 rebounds over her last three contests. She dropped 22 points in just 25 minutes in Thursday’s 93-58 rout at Arkansas. Georgia, meanwhile, is led by the dynamic guard play of Dani Carnegie. The standout is averaging 22.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists over her last seven games, including a 23-point, 10-rebound performance in an overtime win over Texas A&M on Jan. 4. However, the Bulldogs are coming off an 80-59 home loss to LSU on Thursday, where Carnegie scored 24 points but the team struggled defensively. The Gamecocks have owned the recent series, winning the last 15 meetings. Georgia’s last victory over South Carolina came in 2010. For the Bulldogs to end that streak, they must contain South Carolina’s deep and physical frontcourt, led by Edwards, while finding more consistent scoring beyond Carnegie. Sunday’s contest is a critical early-season SEC test. A win would solidify South Carolina’s hold atop the conference, while a Georgia victory would announce the Bulldogs as legitimate national contenders and reset the league hierarchy. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.