CLEMSON, S.C. - The South Carolina Gamecocks Women's basketball team got off to a slow start Wednesday evening, but still cruised to an easy win over their rival Clemson Tigers 77-45. The win was made even more special because it was a program record 43rd win in a row.
The team's previous record of 42 straight wins ran from the 2022 NCAA tournament through the 2023 Final Four. This means Staley and her team have won 85 of their last 86 games, the only loss being to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Still, Staley refuses to make more of this than it is.
“We're in the middle of the season, and we go on the road and play one of the biggest games of our season in a few days,” Staley said. “24-hour rule. We'll enjoy it, then we've got to move on.”
While it was a historic win, it was far from easy early on. Clemson held a five-point lead midway through the second quarter, 17-12. From that point on, the Gamecocks scored 18 straight points. The win was South Carolina's 14th straight win against Clemson. It also increases their lead to 2-0 in this year's Palmetto Series.