Raven Johnson was an anchor for South Carolina women’s basketball in a top-10 road win over Southern Cal.
The No. 2 Gamecocks have four new starters and seven players who are playing different roles this season, coach Dawn Staley said. It’s new territory after having so much roster continuity over the last several seasons, and it showed at points in South Carolina’s 69-52 win over No. 10 Southern Cal (2-1) at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 15.
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The Gamecocks (4-0) had an uncharacteristic 17 turnovers and went through defensive lapses in the first half. But they got better as the game went on, outscoring the Trojans 37-22 and outrebounding them 29-12 after halftime.
“We’re used to having a core group of players playing together for a long time,” Staley said. “Raven’s basically the lone person that has been a part of that regime where we had a core group of players over the past four to five years. So she’s got to take on a big responsibility.”
Raven Johnson’s offense changes game early
Johnson set the tone, scoring the first five points of the game, driving to the rim for a layup before knocking down a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound.
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Johnson didn’t hesitate to let it fly again later in the first quarter and knocked down a second 3-pointer to give the Gamecocks a 10-point lead. Johnson being assertive early opened things up offensively for South Carolina, and kept it in the game in the first half.
But it was everything Johnson did in addition to the scoring that made the difference. She finished with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting with 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
“She really can score. But when it comes down to winning, she makes the right plays — whether that’s scoring, whether that’s defending, whether that’s rebounding, whether that’s getting people involved,” Staley said. “When you think about a winner, when you think about a consummate point guard, Raven is that.”
Why Madina Okot was key to the win
When 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot was in the paint, scoring didn’t come easily for the Trojans. When Okot wasn’t on the court, it was a noticeable difference.
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Okot is still progressing offensively, scoring six points on 3-for-9 shooting, but she was a presence defensively and on the boards. She had a game-high 15 rebounds, five of them offensive, two blocks and a steal.
Staley said the performance was “just the start of her greatness” for the Mississippi State transfer.
“I’m going to give a lot of credit to Madina, who just really controlled the paint. She was where we needed her to be, time and time again,” Staley said. “And she needed it just from a confidence standpoint — a knowing that we need her, a knowing that she can execute a game plan.”
RECRUITING: How Dawn Staley was scared, then surprised by 5-star South Carolina signee Kaeli Wynn
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Joyce Edwards puts on another strong performance
Joyce Edwards’ experience was evident in the first ranked matchup of her sophomore season. She was aggressive on the boards and looked confident putting pressure on the rim.
The 6-3 forward led South Carolina with 17 points, along with 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. There are still areas to clean up — she had six turnovers and was 3-for-8 on free throws — but she showed just how good she can be this season.
Staley said she can see Edwards trusting the work she has put in behind closed doors.
“She wants to win, she’s very competitive, and she plays both sides of the basketball,” she said. “So I’m challenging her to be the best two-way player on the floor every time she steps on the floor. And she’s goal-oriented, so if she’s that for us, we’re going to win a lot of basketball games.”
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Who Dawn Staley praised after South Carolina women’s basketball beat USC
