Gamecocks Ready for Monday Night Tournament Showdown

South Carolina, ranked No. 4/4, hosts Southern Cal at Colonial Life Arena. The second-round NCAA Tournament matchup tips at 8 p.m. on Monday, March 23.

Fans expect a competitive contest between familiar opponents. Gamecocks Ready for Monday Night Tournament Showdown sums the buzz around Columbia.

Postseason production

The Gamecocks have excelled after halftime. They outscore opponents in the third quarter by 12.3 points on average.

Joyce Edwards has paced the offense in postseason play. She is averaging 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Edwards has been exceptionally efficient. Her field-goal rate in the SEC and NCAA tournaments is 61.5 percent.

Tessa Johnson has heated up from long range. She has shot 47.6 percent from three over the last four games.

The bench has provided meaningful offense and boards. It averages 19.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in the postseason.

Agot Makeer leads the reserves in scoring. She averages 7.8 points per contest on 59.1 percent shooting.

Alicia Tournebize has been a strong rebounder late in games. She is grabbing 6.7 rebounds over the last four outings.

Defensive anchor: Raven Johnson

Senior Raven Johnson has built a reputation on defense. She won the 2026 SEC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Johnson appears on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. Synergy ranks her second nationally in defensive impact.

Her presence lowers opponent scoring drastically. Ranked foes average 0.764 points per possession with her on the floor.

That number rises to 0.842 points per possession when she sits. Opponents shoot 39.7 percent with Johnson on defense.

Three-point shooting drops the most when she defends. Teams hit 28.8 percent from long range with her versus 38.6 percent without.

Against high-level SEC opponents she has limited primary scorers. Those players posted just 0.663 points per possession against her.

Team efficiency and season marks

South Carolina ranks among the nation’s elite in shooting. The team field-goal percentage sits at .508 for the season.

Defensively, the squad holds opponents to a .345 shooting clip. They lead the country in offensive points per possession at 1.222.

Their defensive points per possession number is 0.718, second nationally per Synergy. The 3-point percentage is .367.

Individually, Joyce Edwards makes 59.3 percent of her shots. Madina Okot converts 57.9 percent, and Ta’Niya Latson is at 49.5 percent.

Tessa Johnson ranks among national leaders in 3-point accuracy. She sits at 44.4 percent in the SEC and 43.8 percent versus ranked teams.

Johnson averages 2.5 made 3-pointers per game. She has recorded seven games with at least four made triples this season.

Series with Southern Cal

South Carolina has beaten Southern Cal in all four meetings. Three wins occurred during the Dawn Staley era.

The programs played a home-and-home in 2013-14 and 2014-15. They are also in a two-year neutral-site series called The Real SC.

The series resumed on November 15, 2025, with a 69-52 Gamecock win in Los Angeles. South Carolina shot 48.6 percent in the second half.

Joyce Edwards led the team with 17 points in that meeting. Three players pulled down double-digit rebounds in the game.

Senior night and program milestones

Monday will be the last home game for four seniors. Maryam Dauda, Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot will be honored.

Raven Johnson has been part of a dominant home stretch. Over her four seasons, the Gamecocks are 65-1 at Colonial Life Arena.

Recent games moved several players into single-season top-five lists. Edwards is fifth in 20-point games and field goals made.

Raven Johnson sits fifth in single-season assists with 188. She also climbed to third in career assists at 598.

Tessa Johnson ranks fifth in made 3-pointers for a season with 83. Madina Okot is fourth in single-season defensive rebounds at 242.

Raven Johnson needs seven more points to reach 1,000 career points. The team and seniors will aim for a strong finish at home.

Filmogaz.com will follow developments and provide game coverage from Colonial Life Arena.