STARKVILLE, Miss. — Aleighsa Welch led No. 18 South Carolina with 16 points and seven rebounds as the Gamecocks rolled over Mississippi State 60-46 Sunday for their first Southeastern Conference victory of the year.
Welch was 5-of-9 shooting and made 6 of 8 from the foul line. Sancheon White added 11 points as nine different players scored for South Carolina (13-2, 1-1), which dropped its SEC opener to No. 12 Tennessee Jan. 3.
The Gamecocks shot 35.9 percent (14 of 39) from the floor and missed each of their two 3-point attempts, but won the rebound battle 40-30 and drained 32 of 50 free-throw attempts.
South Carolina has now held 11 opponents to fewer than 50 points this year. The Gamecocks entered with a 34.2-percent defensive field goal rate, and held the Bulldogs to 32 percent (16 of 50).
Kendra Grant led Mississippi State (8-7, 0-2) with 15 points. Jerica James added 14.
| South Carolina | 28 | 32 | — | 60 |
| Mississippi St. | 20 | 26 | — | 46 |
| Min | FG-A | FT-A | OR-TR | A | PF | PTS | |
| Bruner | 22 | 1-3 | 5-12 | 0-5 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Welch | 31 | 5-9 | 6-8 | 3-7 | 3 | 4 | 16 |
| Walker | 28 | 2-6 | 4-6 | 1-4 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| White | 29 | 5-9 | 1-2 | 3-6 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| Mitchell | 35 | 0-4 | 5-6 | 1-5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Sessions | 12 | 0-1 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Montout | 15 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 1-4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dozier | 9 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ibiam | 19 | 1-6 | 3-5 | 1-3 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Totals | 200 | 14-39 | 32-50 | 12-40 | 5 | 16 | 60 |
Percentages: FG .359, FT .640. 3-Point Goals: 0-2, .000 (Sessions 0-1, White 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots: 3 (Ibiam 2, Dozier). Turnovers: 12 (Walker 4, Sessions 3, Bruner 2, Mitchell 2, White). Steals: 6 (White 3, Mitchell, Walker, Bruner). Technical Fouls: None.
| Min | FG-A | FT-A | OR-TR | A | PF | PTS | |
| Alwal | 23 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 3-8 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| C Williams | 9 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Gaynor | 21 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Grant | 40 | 4-10 | 7-8 | 1-1 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
| James | 36 | 6-17 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| S Williams | 30 | 2-6 | 1-4 | 1-6 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| May | 4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Foster | 12 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Robinson | 17 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Ward | 8 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 200 | 16-50 | 10-14 | 8-30 | 5 | 29 | 46 |
Percentages: FG .320, FT .714. 3-Point Goals: 4-12, .333 (James 2-6, May 1-1, Gaynor 1-4, Ward 0-1). Team Rebounds: 4. Blocked Shots: 7 (Alwal 4, S. Williams 3). Turnovers: 13 (S. Williams 3, James 2, May 2, Grant 2, Foster, C. Williams). Steals: 2 (S. Williams, Robinson). Technical Fouls: None. A—1,325. Officials—Eric Koch, Roy Gulbeyan, Charlie Hust.
JUCO standout joins USC women
