Cook, Boston lead top Gamecocks with 87-23 win over Bucks

Talaysia Cooper added 14 points and junior high school freshman Chloe Kitts had 10 points and 7 rebounds in her collegiate debut.

This seemed like a mismatch from the beginning, and it soon became. South Carolina scored her 11 points in the first and she led 20-3 after the first quarter.

The Charleston Southern (2-9) shot less than 33% all season and struggled even more against the Gamecock’s stifling defense. The Buccaneers hit only 1 of 13 attempts during the quarter, before hitting a foul shot and a short shot by Sanya Jones with 32 seconds left before going pointless in the first nine minutes of the second. was held in

South Carolina, No. 3 in the nation with 50.4 rebounds per game, also dominated the Bucks in this category. The Gamecocks maintained a 14-1 lead on the offensive board in the first half, rebounding the Bucs 53-22.

Falling short of a double-double in the last two games, Boston seized the opportunity to come close to the program’s all-time record of 70, set by Sheila Foster in 1979-82.

While Boston maintained a dominant presence, the Gamecocks got a glimpse into the future with Kitz.

The 6-foot-2 freshman is a five-star freshman who graduated high school early to enroll this month. Staley says Kitts didn’t join the team to sit on the bench, and she proved it in the first game, where Kitts has been on both ends of the floor, and fellow freshman Talatia he’s from Cooper. ‘s pass quickly and connected with her only his 3-pointer. She also recorded two steals and two assists in 23 minutes.

Zaire Hicks led Charleston Southern by 8 points.

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Charleston Southern: The Buccaneers struggled this season, averaging more than 38 points behind nine losses. They hope they’re ready with a demanding schedule for Big South Conference play starting later this month.

South Carolina: Not necessarily the number one team in the country, the defending national champion could add a midseason player like Kitts. Kitz looks slick and confident when he first hits the floor, and could burst off the bench midway through the rest.

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The Charleston Southern will face Gardner Webb at home on December 29th.

South Carolina faces another in-state opponent in Coastal Carolina on Wednesday.

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AP Women’s College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25