South Carolina Hands Vanderbilt First Loss in Statement Win

South Carolina women’s basketball delivered a dominant response to its first SEC loss of the season, overwhelming No. 4 Vanderbilt 103–74 on Jan. 25 inside Colonial Life Arena.

The No. 2 Gamecocks (20–2, 6–1 SEC) set the tone early and never looked back, riding a balanced offensive attack and stifling defense to hand the Commodores their first defeat of the year. Ta’Niya Latson and Tessa Johnson powered South Carolina’s offense, combining for 41 points and five three-pointers. Agot Makeer, inserted into the starting lineup in place of Madina Okot, provided a major spark, while Okot delivered 17 points off the bench in a dominant performance from the frontcourt.

South Carolina jumped out to an 11–2 start and built a lead as large as 21 points in the first half. Vanderbilt (20–1, 6–1) briefly found momentum late in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 11 on a buzzer-beating three, but the Gamecocks shut the door coming out of the locker room. A 27–12 third-quarter surge pushed the margin to 82–56, effectively sealing the outcome.

Vanderbilt star Mikayla Blakes, the nation’s second-leading scorer entering the game at 24.8 points per contest, finished with 23 points, including 14 in the second quarter. However, South Carolina’s depth and defensive pressure proved too much over 40 minutes.

With the win, head coach Dawn Staley improved to 4–2 against ranked opponents this season. The Gamecocks will look to keep their momentum rolling when they travel to face Auburn on Jan. 29.