COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joyce Edwards scored 15 points while Ashlyn Watkins had 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks as No. 3 South Carolina opened a big lead early and cruised to its 63rd straight win at home with a 78-62 victory over South Florida on Sunday.

The Gamecocks (10-1) started with an 18-4 burst as Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao made two 3s apiece and the Bulls (5-6) could not dig themselves out of the hole.

Edwards, a 6-foot-3 freshman, had her career high to lead the team, which finished with five players in double figures.

Sammie Puisis had 19 points with four 3-pointers to lead South Florida, an American Athletic Conference team whose losses have all come against power conference opponents. L’or Mputu finished with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Bulls were down 43-31 at the half, but South Carolina stretched things out with a 23-12 start to the third quarter to take control.

Takeaways

South Florida: The Bulls, who lost a second-round NCAA game to South Carolina here in 2023, withstood the early surge and held their own much of the game as they beat the Gamecocks on the offensive glass, 15-12, through three quarters.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks did more than enough to cruise to their latest victory. But spotty defense and work on the boards could cost them when Southeastern Conference play starts in a couple of weeks.

Key moment

It came early with Hall and Paopao each making two 3-pointers as South Carolina started with an 18-4 burst.

Key stat

South Carolina lost on the offensive glass with USF outboarding them 17-12.

Up next

South Florida returns home to face Northwestern State on Tuesday night.

South Carolina plays Charleston Southern at home at noon Thursday.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — John Spratt, a former longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina who successfully pushed for a balanced budget deal in the 1990s but was unseated decades later when his district turned Republican, has died. He was 82.

Spratt died Saturday night at home, surrounded by family, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, his daughter, Catherine Spratt, said in a post on Facebook.

Tributes quickly poured in for Spratt, who represented South Carolina’s 5th District for nearly 30 years.

Former President Bill Clinton hailed Spratt as a “skilled and deeply principled lawmaker” who was willing to work with anyone to pass legislation to make a difference in people’s lives.

In a condolence letter to the family, according to Spratt’s daughter, President Joe Biden wrote that, “Guided by his wit, wisdom, decency and grace, John deeply understood the promise of America, and he fought tirelessly to bring people together to help us live up to that promise.”

Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, in a post on X, called Spratt a man of “unmatched intellect, integrity, and kindness,” and said he would order flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff on the day of Spratt’s funeral.

Christale Spain, chair of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, said in a news release that Spratt “earned respect on both sides of the aisle, and he will be remembered for his courageous work to enhance and improve healthcare, support for our military, and his strengthening of rural communities leaves a lasting impact that will be felt for generations.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison, a South Carolina native, said he “often teased that Mr. Spratt had probably forgotten more about the federal budget than the majority of Members had ever known,” calling him “brilliant, kind, and beloved by many.”

First elected to Congress in 1982, Spratt rose through the ranks to become chairman of the House Budget Committee and the second-highest-ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

One of his proudest accomplishments, his daughter said, was his role in passing the Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997.

“I’ll always be grateful for the chance to work with him, especially on the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 which he co-authored and helped produce record surpluses,” Clinton said. “John was a true public servant and a really good man.”

As much of the South tilted toward the GOP, Spratt hung on to his congressional seat, fending off challengers as Republicans redrew congressional maps in their favor.

Spratt’s district had been in Democratic hands for more than 100 years until Republican Mick Mulvaney defeated Spratt in a 2010 race for the seat. Mulvaney held it for three terms before going on to serve President Donald Trump’s first administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget, and for more than a year, as acting White House chief of staff.

South Carolina now has six Republicans and one Democrat — Rep. Jim Clyburn, who recently won his 17th term representing the state’s 6th District — in its U.S. House delegation. Only one other district, the 1st, was briefly won by a Democrat before reverting to Republican hands.

“Serving in Congress with John Spratt was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Clyburn wrote in a post on X, calling his former colleague “a friend and confidant, a colleague and counselor, and a mentor and partner,” as well as “an inconspicuous genius and the most ordinary, extraordinary person I have ever known.”

Spratt graduated from Davidson College, where he was student body president. Winning a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford, he studied economics, and earned a law degree from Yale. Spratt was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal after serving as a captain in the Army from 1969 to 1971, coming home to South Carolina that year to practice law with his father.

Eleven years later, he was elected to his first U.S. House term.

Survivors include his wife, Jane Stacy Spratt — to whom he was married for 56 years — three daughters, and several grandchildren.

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Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. AP reporter Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, also contributed to this report.

When South Carolina steamrolled past Iowa State at the Fort Myers Tip Off, their first game after losing to UCLA, there were a lot of positive takeaways for the Gamecocks. They won by 40 points—more than the 36 Iowa State put on the board—and 10 players contributed to their 76 points scored.

However, the brightest aspect of the game was Joyce Edwards’ performance. The freshman phenom was unstoppable. She earned her first career double-double and was a force of nature in the post. It was her, not Iowa State, that was spinning around like a cyclone inside the paint, wreaking havoc. Iowa State had no answer for her, and she went an efficient 6-for-8 from the field, finishing with 13 points, 11 boards and three steals.

After the win, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley commended Edwards’ game, saying:

This is the Joyce that we envision having. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer than we think it’s going to take because she’s so smart and she’s able to compete at the high highest level. But I hope she gains a lot of confidence from the way that we did it. She was really efficient, she rebounded the basketball, she was flying around, her defense was pretty darn good. She put together a complete game and I’m truly happy for her.

When playing for a program that has won three national titles, is the defending champions and is coming off a 43-game winning streak, playing efficiently and giving a complete performance is the only way you will survive. The room for error as a Gamecock is slim to none, and with that expectation comes extra scrutiny.

Sticking to the details

At almost any other program, Edwards would have a green light to do whatever she wants. But at South Carolina, the role is more limited, and playing a winning style is what puts you in position for glory.

Edwards is doing all the small things that make a big impact. She crashes the boards, averaging 5.4 rebounds per game, and her defensive tenacity results in 1.7 steals per game, which is a team-high. While she’s only seventh in minutes played per game, she has participated in every contest so far this season.

It’s Edwards’ versatility that truly separates her—and suggests a star trajectory. She has the size, speed and strength to guard all positions. Edwards quickly has become a Swiss Army Knife that Staley can use whenever and wherever she wants.

No ceiling

What should be worrisome to other programs is that this is just the start for Edwards. What happens when she develops her post game even more? Will an increase in minutes and a starter role in the future turn her into a juggernaut, the next player in a long list of stars who have come out of Staley’s program?

The early returns indicate this is the most likely outcome. However, for now, it’s all about taking advantage of the opportunities presented and making those moments count. Simply put, Edwards is already impacting winning and will have plenty of opportunities to do so this season and for years to come.

Edwards is not just a rookie to watch; she’s a player to know in the world of basketball.