COLUMBIA, S.C. — The No. 1 overall seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament looked every bit of the part Friday, as top-ranked South Carolina routed the 16th-seeded Howard Bison, 79-21, in its first March Madness game at Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks (30-2) smothered undersized Howard defensively and took a 44-4 lead into halftime. South Carolina held the Bison (21-10) to the fewest points in a half in NCAA Tournament history — breaking a previous record from 2011, when Prairie View was held to eight points against Baylor.
"I looked up at the scoreboard like this is what we do, and this is what we should always be doing against any team," South Carolina freshman Bree Hall said after the game.
Howard went 8 of 54 (15%) from the field, while South Carolina shot 28 of 79 (35%). The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Bison 69 to 28, their most rebounds of the season.
Next up, South Carolina plays No. 8 Miami in round two Sunday. The Hurricanes (21-12, 10-8 ACC) defeated No. 9 seed South Florida, 78-66, just before South Carolina's win, solidifying their slot against the Gamecocks. Game time and TV channel have yet to be announced.
"We've gotta play a little bit better offensively on Sunday in order for us to really continue on to this tournament," head coach Dawn Staley said. "But I like what we did defensively."
Here's what we learned about the Gamecocks.
Gamecocks thrash Bison in dominant first half
South Carolina's defense made NCAA history as it took a 40-point lead to halftime.
It took Howard 8:31 to score, while South Carolina poured in 20 unanswered points on to open the contest. South Carolina locked in on Howard defensively, holding the Bison to 1 of 16 from the field in the first quarter.
The Bison finished the half four points off just one field goal, going 1 of 26. One Howard player, junior Iyanna Warren, scored all four of those points off a layup and two free throws.
The Gamecocks took advantage of the Bison's early ball-control issues, scoring seven points off Howard's first three turnovers. South Carolina veteran guard Brea Beal scored five of the game's first 12 points with two rebounds and an assist before Staley began incorporating the bench early.
Five Gamecock reserves earned first-quarter minutes, and two of them — Laeticia Amihere and Destiny Littleton — scored early.
Boston tallies 25th straight double-double, Grissett adds spark
South Carolina star forward Aliyah Boston recorded her 25th consecutive double-double with 7:13 to go in the third quarter, finishing the afternoon with a game-high 10 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in 18 minutes.
Boston's streak has eclipsed the SEC record and South Carolina record. She needs one more to break this season's record of total double-doubles. DePaul freshman Aneesah Morrow, whose season ended in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament, finished the year with 26 double-doubles.
LeLe Grissett added a spark in her first NCAA tournament appearance since having to sit out last season due to an injury suffered in the SEC tournament championship. She scored eight points with four assists, three rebounds and one steal.
"It's comforting having her available to play, available to practice," Staley said. "What you see out there is how she's been every day that she's been able to practice with us for the last five years."
South Carolina's bench shines on NCAA stage
The Gamecocks' bench added 43 points in the rout, with eight reserves contributing to the effort.
The bench scoring effort was led by freshman Sania Feagin, who scored 10 points. Grissett and freshman Bree Hall, who was one of the first off the bench for South Carolina, each added eight points.
Reserve guard Olivia Thompson made two 3-point shots that created approval both in the Colonial Life Arena stands and along the Gamecocks' bench.
"It's been a tough road for some of those some players that don't play a whole lot," Staley said. "They come into practice. They're on the scout team, or they help us prepare, and a lot of times they don't get a chance to express themselves on the basketball court or make an impact. I thought the players that got it in before them really created this, and they gave us a cushion to where we can get them out there."
