No. 1 South Carolina rolls to 93-62 win over Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (AP) — Chloe Kitts scored a career-best 21 points, Bree Hall added 18 and No. 1 South Carolina quickly ended any thoughts Bowling Green may have had of pulling off a historic upset, rolling to a 93-62 win Tuesday night.

Hall made three 3-pointers and the Gamecocks (11-0) hit their first 10 shots while opening an 18-point lead in the first quarter against the Falcons (6-3), who were facing the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in school history.

It was more than an average non-conference game for South Carolina as the matchup was also a reunion with first-year Bowling Green coach Fred Chmiel, an assistant with the Gamecocks for eight seasons under Dawn Staley.

While Chmiel was at South Carolina, the Gamecocks went 247-32, developed numerous All-Americans and won national championships in 2017 and 2022. Chmiel’s relationship with Staley stretches back nearly 20 years when he was an assistant for the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting and she was their best player.

South Carolina star center Kamilla Cardoso scored 11 before leaving in the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury that didn’t appear serious.

Chmiel knew what his team was in for, and the Gamecocks, coming off a 70-point win over Presbyterian, showed why they’re a unanimous No. 1 in the AP poll.

Hall, a junior from Dayton, Ohio, set the tone with her outside shooting and the Gamecocks made their first five 3s before a long miss drew a roar from the sellout crowd of 4,195 fans inside The Stroh Center on BG’s campus.

South Carolina then ramped up its defensive intensity in the second quarter, went on an 18-4 tear and took total control. The Gamecocks led by 21 at halftime, pushed it to 31 after three and 87-47 in the fourth.

Notables

• The Gamecock offense got off to a hot start, going 10-for-10 from the field, including five 3-pointers within the first five minutes, and their defensive effort helped build a 13-point lead just midway through the opening quarter.
• South Carolina finished the first half 8-for-12 from behind the arc, rounding out the game shooting 56.3 percent, making it the fourth game this season shooting at least 50.0 percent from the three.
• South Carolina dominated in the paint, outscoring the Falcons 48-16.
• Chloe Kitts had a career night, finishing with 21 points to lead the team in scoring for the first time in her career. She shot 83.3 percent (10-for12) from the field, in addition to her six boards, block, and steal.
• Bree Hall tied her career high of 18 points after starting out 3-for-3 from behind the arc, putting up half her points in just the first 10 minutes.
• Te-Hina Paopao continued her 10-game streak of knocking down at least two 3s per game, collecting all 12 of her points from long range (4-for-6). She handed out six of the Gamecocks’ 21 assists on the night as well.