South Carolina did not need an explosive offensive performance to put Clemson away on Thursday. Instead, Dawn Staley’s players leaned on the one thing their head coach keeps demanding from them, turning the third quarter into a defensive masterclass that effectively ended the contest.
The No. 1 Gamecocks took a relatively modest 30-21 lead into halftime. But whatever hopes the Tigers had of making it competitive disappeared after the break. South Carolina outscored Clemson 21-7 in the third quarter, and all seven Clemson points came only from free throws. That was the kind of defensive response Staley has been looking for, particularly after her team nearly squandered a 31-point advantage against Maryland in its season opener.
“I’m happy this team is finding an identity, and that identity is it starts with our defense,” Staley said in the postgame press conference, as shared on the Gamecocks’ YouTube channel. “We know that this early stage of the game is hard to find that continuity and where people like the ball, but our defense is holding serve, and you know, we’re finding a way to win basketball games.”
The Gamecocks arrived on the back of two straight wins over ranked opponents: a 101-93 victory over No. 20 Maryland in their opener and a dominant 84-39 win over No. 12 North Carolina in their second game. They had also beaten their in-state rival Clemson 15 times before Thursday. Even so, head coach Shawn Poppie and his team came in believing they could get a favorable result.
“I think there’s no doubt in that locker room that we think that we can beat them on Thursday,” Poppie said.
And it is quite understandable why Poppie might have felt that way. The Tigers were also riding a three-game winning streak heading into their meeting with the Gamecocks. And beyond that unbeaten start, their previous encounter with South Carolina had also offered some encouragement that an upset could very well happen.
Clemson had trailed South Carolina by just 10 points entering the fourth quarter of their previous meeting before the Gamecocks eventually pulled away late. And coming into the 2026/27 season fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance, the Tigers had also made sure to add reinforcements to their roster, bringing in a top-10 freshman class alongside key transfer additions.
However, Thursday’s game ended up being a different reality from what Poppie had envisioned. After briefly holding a 4-2 lead for just 50 seconds in the first quarter, South Carolina took control of the contest. But rather than relying on the offensive firepower that characterized their first two games of the season, it was defense that ultimately ruled the night for Dawn Staley’s team.
The Gamecocks closed the first quarter with a 19-14 advantage before holding Clemson to just seven points in each of the second and third quarters. The third quarter was particularly impressive, as South Carolina emerged from the locker room with heightened defensive intensity, holding the Tigers to 0-of-7 shooting from the floor during that stretch.
Overall, the Gamecocks limited Clemson to just 22.4% shooting and forced 21 turnovers. They also recorded six team blocks and six steals to eventually secure the 65-44 victory.
This was quite the contrast to what happened, or almost happened, in South Carolina’s season opener against Maryland. In that contest, the Gamecocks had exploded offensively to build a 61-33 halftime lead but subsequently collapsed defensively, surrendering 60 second-half points, including 26 in the third quarter and 34 in the fourth. Staley described the experience as a “learning lesson” while criticizing her team’s defensive lapses after the break.
With this display against Clemson, it is safe to say the lesson has been learnt. Hopefully the Gamecocks can bring the same level of defensive intensity when they face No. 3 USC in their next game.