COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a remarkable bounce-back effort, the sixth-ranked South Carolina women’s basketball team triumphed over Arkansas with a score of 95-55 on Thursday night. Joyce Edwards was a vital contributor, scoring 18 points, while MiLaysia Fulwiley played a crucial role with 15 points, 10 of which came during a key stretch in the second quarter. This victory followed South Carolina’s previous setback against UConn, where they ended their astonishing 71-game home win streak with a disappointing 87-58 result.

Chloe Kitts also had a notable performance for South Carolina, achieving a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Gamecocks improved their record to 23-3 overall and 12-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Fulwiley and Edwards, both coming off the bench, helped ignite the team’s offense after a slow start, with Bree Hall also contributing a season-high of 14 points.

The game truly turned in the second quarter, as Fulwiley’s impressive drives to the basket were met with cheers from fans, helping propel South Carolina to a dominant 23-12 run in the final minutes before halftime. Meanwhile, Kiki Smith led the way for Arkansas with 18 points, but their leading scorer Izzy Higginbottom struggled, finishing with only 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting, significantly below her average. Arkansa now faces a difficult stretch, having lost nine out of their last ten games this season and all ten of their last encounters with South Carolina.

For South Carolina, the game marked a needed return to offensive form as they aim to secure a regular-season conference title, closely trailing No. 3 Texas, with both teams holding one loss in the SEC. A pivotal moment occurred just three minutes into the second quarter when the Gamecocks were up by a narrow 21-16 lead before launching into their decisive run.

A key takeaway from this game was South Carolina’s dominance on the boards, having been out-rebounded in their prior matchup against UConn. This time, they convincingly outmatched Arkansas on the glass, resulting in a 57-28 advantage in rebounds.

Looking ahead, Arkansas will host No. 16 Oklahoma on Sunday, while South Carolina will embark on a two-game road trip beginning at Vanderbilt on the same day.