The Florida Gators had no answers for No. 4 South Carolina’s high-powered offense on Thursday night en route to their worst loss of the season.
The Florida Gators (12-13, 3-8 SEC) were defeated 101-63 by the No. 4 South Carolina Gamecocks (23-1, 11-1 SEC), keeping Florida’s first win over a top five team since 2006 out of reach.
The Gators and Gamecocks entered Thursday's game coming off a pair of respective tough losses, with Florida falling 84-66 to No. 23 Alabama on Thursday and South Carolina 66-62 to No. 3 Texas on Sunday. However, South Carolina was able to bounce back at its home arena.
Surrounded by a crowd of roaring fans, the Gamecocks secured their 11th conference win due to an all-around team effort, with all 10 Gamecocks that saw playing time making it into the scoring column. Meanwhile, Florida was handed its worst loss of the season, as Thursday’s loss marked the first time the Gators had surrendered 100 or more points this season.
The Gamecocks wasted no time establishing control, scoring a season-high 36 points in the first quarter. South Carolina continued this action and never looked back, tallying 62 points by the end of the first half.
South Carolina senior guard Te-Hina Paopao and freshman forward Joyce Edwards reached double-digits by the end of the first quarter with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Paopao finished the night with 14 points on 5-of-6 field shooting and 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Edwards recorded a career-high 28 points.
Moreover, USC junior forward Chloe Kitts showed out in front of her sister, UF freshman guard/forward Kylee Kitts, with a team-high 12 rebounds. This game marked Chloe Kitts’ 13th time leading her team in rebounds this season.
The Gators’ turnover troubles crept in once again, an internal struggle that has followed them through SEC play. The Gamecocks scored 24 points off 17 Florida turnovers.
Throughout the night, Florida could not stop South Carolina’s quick offensive transitions, allowing the Gamecocks to score 52 points in the paint.
USC, which ranks first in the nation in bench points, also surpassed its season average (41.3) with 60 bench points.
Florida, entering Thursday night ranked third in the SEC in field goal percentage (47%), only shot 33%, compared to South Carolina’s 46%.
Florida freshman guard Liv McGill and senior center Ra Shaya Kyle led the Gators in scoring with 15 points each. McGill has hit double-figures in 23 of her 25 outings this season. Although Kyle did not finish with a double-double, she came back after being held to two points in the first half.
Meanwhile, UF freshman wing Me’Arah O'Neal led the Gators in rebounds in the first half with five while contributing six points after being out last game. Junior forward Alexia Gassett had eight rebounds by the end of the game to lead the Gators.
By just halftime, the Gamecocks were already up by 30 points, leaving the score at 62-32.
In the third quarter, Florida scored 16 points, compared to South Carolina’s 14, holding the Gamecocks to their lowest-scoring quarter of the night.
Although the game became close to even in the second half, South Carolina’s 36 points in the first quarter held them over the entire game. Florida’s inconsistent play and slow start plagued it again in conference play.
The Gamecocks finished strong with 25 points in the fourth quarter, compared to the Gators’ 15, reaching 101 points to end the game.
Up next, Florida will return to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to take on Mississippi State University (17-8, 4-7 SEC) on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Contact Amanda Roman at aroman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mandy_romannn
Amanda Roman is a sophomore sports journalism major and the Spring 2025 women's basketball reporter. This is her second semester at the sports desk for The Alligator, and she previously interned for Fort Lauderdale United FC. In her free time, she enjoys lifting, shopping and reading.
