Florida Women’s Basketball No Match For No. 4 South Carolina

Florida fell to No. 4 South Carolina in a dominant 101-63 loss Thursday at Colonial Life Arena, where the Gamecocks controlled the game from the start.

South Carolina (23-2, 11-1 SEC) wasted no time setting the tone by opening with a 7-0 run that put Florida (12-13, 3-8) on its heels early. The Gators struggled to generate offensive rhythm and fell behind quickly in a hostile environment in Columbia.

Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao provided an early spark for South Carolina when drilled her first four 3-point attempts. The Gamecocks shot a blistering 66.7% from beyond the arc and 53.5% from the field in the first half to overwhelm Florida’s defense. By halftime, South Carolina had built a commanding 62-32 lead.

Pricey Errors

Turnovers proved costly for Florida, as the Gators committed 17, leading to 24 Gamecock points. Florida showed resilience in the third quarter by responding with an 8-0 run and outscoring South Carolina by two in the period. However, the comeback effort was short-lived, as South Carolina continued to dominate inside.

Freshman forward Joyce Edwards led all scorers with 28 points in just 20 minutes, helping the Gamecocks control the paint. South Carolina also outperformed Florida in rebounding, 3-point shooting and overall efficiency.

At the free-throw line, South Carolina capitalized on every opportunity, making 21 of 22 attempts, while Florida converted just 14 of 21. The Gators’ defensive struggles and inability to maintain possession proved costly against one of the nation’s top teams.

final#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/czyoNmcugm

— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) February 14, 2025

On Deck

The Gators will look to regroup at 2 p.m. Sunday (SEC Network+) at home against Mississippi State (17-8, 4-7).