When the South Carolina Gamecocks lost their first game this season, fans knew it was a jerk in their otherwise smooth ride. Coming off a Championship win, the Gamecocks ended their 43-0 winning streak with a 77-62 loss to the UCLA Bruins. However, once that was over, their HC Dawn Staley was once again prepared to show their potential and she did exactly did during Thursday’s game against the Iowa State Cyclones.

Notably, the Gamecocks started the game on a loose note as the Cyclones opened the matchup with a three. But what the Gamecocks did next was a pleasant surprise. The Staley-coached team went on a 32 points spree across the first two quarters before their opponents scored next. They held the Cyclones without a point for nearly 15 minutes. This had everyone applauding their comeback.

The Gamecocks after being defeated by UCLA bogged down to the fourth position. Meanwhile, the Cyclones are the fifteenth-ranked team, 5-7 on the board. The team was fresh off a victory against Drake, but after the Gamecocks winning streak ended, Staley was clear on what her team lacked, determined to cover it up in the next game.

The HC had opined that though she wouldn’t make any changes to the starting five, she would definitely want their offense to improve.

“I mean the only painful thing was our offense, our defense was decent. UCLA doesn’t shoot as well as they shot, so they were ready for us. Like we bring out the best in people. So we’re going to shift that and give it to UCLA,” Staley had stated as the Gamecocks only hit 36.4% from the floor as compared to the Bruins’ 47.5%.

So back on court, the Gamecocks defeated the number 15-ranked team by a 76-36 margin. For the Gamecocks, the highest scorer was Joyce Edwards who had 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Sania Feagin added 13. And after the game was over, the 3x NCAA Championship-winning head coach opined that “this is a sample of what (we) can be.” Hence fans were excited about the same.

Fans rejoice at the Gamecocks’ spectacular display

Though the first point went to the Cyclones, the Dwan Stale-led team’s intent was clear in the very next second. The 77-62 defeat weighed on South Carolina and the fans took notice.

“South Carolina went on a *checks notes* 32-0 run before Iowa State scored again,” popular reporter Alexa Phillipou stated, content with the complete dominance the program showed. 7 different Gamecocks put a score on board before Cyclone’s Lilly Taulelei made a layup 4 minutes in the 2nd quarter. At the end of the spree, the Gamecocks missed 13 consecutive shots, but again hit seven of their next eight to lead the way.

“South Carolina just held the #15 team in the country to 9 total points in one half. 😦,” The first half looked as if the Gamecocks were playing against an unranked team or maybe an exhibition game. The Gamecocks hit 35 points while restricting the Cyclones to only 9 in the first half. This was enough to speak about their balling prowess.

“25-0 run for South Carolina. Whew. They looking real good.,” another follower commented. The only quarter where the Cyclones could match the efforts of the Gamecocks was the third when both teams scored 18 points. Otherwise in the other three, it looked like a completely one-sided game.

“No. 4 @GamecockWBB absolutely crushes No. 15 Iowa State 76-36 An incredible rebound from the Gamecocks. Their best game of the season by far Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!,” another social media user enumerated. The Gamecocks ended the game with a 76-36 tally. Staley’s decision to keep the same starting five while concentrating on their offense had worked wonders for them. Maybe, this could be the start of the winning streak again.