Top-ranked South Carolina scraped by No. 20 Maryland with a 101-93 victory in their season opener in Paris on Monday, but don’t let that final score fool you. The Gamecocks nearly coughed up a massive lead, needing a late surge and some clutch free throws to hold off a furious Terrapins comeback that had coach Dawn Staley calling an urgent timeout.
Gamecocks Came Out Firing, Built a Monster Lead
South Carolina looked every bit the top-ranked team early, absolutely exploding out of the gates. They were relentless, racking up 27 fast-break points and 21 points off turnovers in the first 20 minutes alone. The Gamecocks hit their first seven shots, finishing the first quarter 9 of 15 from the field and building a commanding 33-13 lead. Even after Maryland made a modest run in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 40-27 on an Addi Mack stepback jumper, South Carolina slammed the door shut with a quick 6-0 run. Joyce Edwards, after missing her only two shots in the first, found her rhythm with 6-for-8 shooting in the second quarter, finishing the half with 13 points and hitting a jumper from the left wing as the buzzer sounded. South Carolina ended the first half hitting seven of their last nine shots, walking into the locker room with a seemingly insurmountable 61-33 lead, which had been a 31-point edge at one point.
Then Addi Mack Went Nuclear, And Maryland Nearly Pulled Off the Impossible
Just when it seemed like South Carolina had this game locked up, Maryland staged an incredible rally in the second half, fueled by an unbelievable performance from Addi Mack. She was unstoppable, hitting 31 of her game-high and career-high 35 points after halftime. Mack was lethal from the field, going 14 of 20 overall, including an absurd 6 of 10 from beyond the arc. The Terrapins clawed their way back, chipping away at that massive 31-point gap until they cut it to a terrifying 89-80 with just 4:30 left on the clock. That was enough for Dawn Staley to call a timeout, clearly trying to snap her squad out of their funk. Whatever she said worked, as the Gamecocks responded with a crucial 7-0 run, giving themselves a little breathing room. Maryland, however, refused to quit, getting the lead down to 96-90 before South Carolina finally sealed the deal with two free throws each from Jordan Lee and Jerzy Robinson. Edwards finished with 23 points, leading five Gamecocks in double figures, with Agot Mateer adding 20, Robinson and Tessa Johnson chipping in 15 apiece, and Lee scoring 13.
It was a wild opener for both teams. South Carolina almost let a huge lead completely slip away, giving them a real scare to open the season. Next up, South Carolina takes on No. 12 North Carolina on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Maryland will look to bounce back when they host George Mason on Sunday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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