COLUMBIA — It would have been the perfect time for a trap game, coming after three straight “name” opponents, all away from home, and players about to break for exams.

USC coach Dawn Staley, when she made out the schedule, wisely stayed out of the trap.

Third-ranked South Carolina slogged past N.C. Central 106-42 on Dec. 7, the Gamecocks (9-1) feeling the effects of their last three games and also their battered depth.

Freshman Agot Makeer missed her second straight game due to a concussion. Tessa Johnson, after cooking Louisville for 20 points in her last game, was out due to illness. Then center Madina Okot left the game before halftime with a trainer.

"She’s feeling a little sick," Staley said. "It's going around."

Okot returned to the bench still in uniform with about seven mi

See Full Page