Edwards' 24 points lead No. 2 South Carolina to a 114-47 blowout of Bowling Green

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 24 points and Mississipppi State transfer Medina Okot added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds as No. 2 South Carolina rolled past Bowling Green 114-47 on Friday night.

The Gamecocks (2-0) followed up a 40-point victory in their opener against Grand Canyon with another dominant game. They led 55-19 by halftime and kept pouring it on. They finished with seven players in double figures.

Bowling Green got a scoreboard snapshot moment when Johnea Donahue made the game’s opening basket to put the Falcons up 2-0. Things quickly turned as the Gamecocks scored the next 15 points.

South Caorlina led 27-7 after the first quarter and kept pushing the pace as the Falcons could not figure out the Gamecocks’ smothering defense.

South Carolina held Bowling Green to 6-of-39 shooting (15.4 %). It had a 34-15 edge on rebounding and five blocks to none for the Falcons.

Ewards made 11 of 12 shots and had three of South Carolina’s nine blocked shots. Raven Johnson had 11 points and 11 assists.

It was the second straight game South Carolina coach Dawn Staley welcomed back one of her championship assistants, now head coach. Winston Gandy, part of the 2024 national champs, is in his first year at Grand Canyon, which lost here 94-54 in Monday’s opener.

Bowling Green ccoach Fred Chmiel was on Staley’s staff from 2015-16 through 2022-23 and essential to NCAA Tournament titles in 2017 and 2022.