Penn State women’s basketball (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten) got blown out by South Carolina (10-1, 0-0 SEC) 95-55 on Saturday afternoon in Columbia.

Kiyomi McMiller and Shayla Smith combined for 35 of Penn State’s 55 points, as the Nittany Lions were simply unable to keep pace with an ultra-disciplined Gamecocks team.

How It Happened

The Gamecocks struck first with a three-pointer from Tessa Johnson. Smith and Gracie Merkle answered with layups for Penn State, but a three-pointer from Raven Johnson put South Carolina up 8-4.

Smith flushed another layup, this time on a fast break, to bring Penn State within two possessions. The Gamecocks continued to attack the paint with another pair of layups. Moriah Murray ended a two-minute scoring drought with a three-pointer to make it a 14-9 ballgame.

McMiller got on the board with a mid-range jumper to further shrink South Carolina’s lead. Joyce Edwards snatched up an offensive rebound for an easy second-chance bucket to make it 20-11. Penn State’s offense continued to struggle, as Edwards found another two easy buckets.

Smith secured a rebound and went coast-to-coast, fighting through contact to flush a fastbreak layup and convert an and-one opportunity, but that was quickly erased by Ta’niya Latson, who drew a foul and made both free throws at the line.

Merkle and McMiller each got a bucket to fall, cutting into South Carolina’s 26-18 lead. Then, Smith knocked down a tough fadeaway jumper despite being fouled. The freshman made the extra free throw to continue Penn State’s strong offensive start to the second quarter.

The Gamecocks dug their heels in and answered with a strong sequence that featured a trio of layups by Johnson, Edwards, and Maddy McDaniel to extend their 33-22 lead.

McMiller got to her spot and knocked down a middy, but once again, South Carolina responded with a three from McDaniel. McMiller caught fire, splashing a step-back three that marked a flurry of 10 straight points.

The first half concluded with a trio of free throws from South Carolina, sending them into the locker room up 46-34.

The Gamecocks scored nine unanswered points to start the second half, forcing an early Penn State timeout just two minutes into the third quarter.

Out of the break, Merkle logged her first points since the nine-minute mark of the second quarter. MCMiller fed Merkle down low, but the forward was fouled, making one of two shots.

Latson picked McMiller’s pocket for an easy fast-break layup that extended South Carolina’s 58-37 lead. Latson’s defensive impact continued to be felt, with back-to-back steals that lead to scores in transition. Tea Cleante rattled in a three-pointer to cut into the 65-40 deficit, but immediately, Edwards answered with a three of her own.

South Carolina continued to pour it on with a 10-0 run that was finally stopped by a three from Vitoria Santana. Johnson logged back-to-back fastbreak layups to make it 79-43. Edwards continued to dominate the paint, flashing fancy footwork for an easy basket.

With the game totally out of reach, Amiya Evans entered the game and gobbled up an offensive rebound for an easy second-chance basket.

With 2:05 left in the game, McMiller splashed a corner three to cut into the 93-55 deficit, but smoked a wide-open fast-break layup a few possessions later as the clock dwindled.

Takeaways

• Penn State was careless with the ball today, finishing with 26 turnovers. The Gamecocks were able to capitalize on that number, scoring a whopping 33 points off turnovers.
• Gracie Merkle was a non-factor when it mattered. Penn State’s leading scorer picked up two early fouls in the first quarter, limiting her first-half action. However, when she returned, South Carolina defended the ball from getting to the post for the majority of the game.
• The Nittany Lions had no answer on defense, allowing the Gamecocks to shoot 51% from the floor. Four South Carolina players finished with double-digit points, including 29 points for Joyce Edwards.

What’s Next?

Penn State will participate in the “4 THA CULTURE Holiday Classic” next weekend, playing VCU on Saturday, December 20, at 3:30 p.m.