In its first game without Ashlyn Watkins, South Carolina cruised to a dominant 90-49 win over Texas A&M. How did the Gamecocks handle their first game without their star forward?

It would be an overstatement to say the Gamecocks didn’t miss Watkins, but her absence wasn’t felt. 

Starting forwards Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin each scored in double figures. Kitts had 11 points and seven rebounds, and Feagin had 12 points and four rebounds.

“They’re highly motivated women,” Dawn Staley said. “They want to win. And they know losing Ashlyn is a big void to fill. So little by little, they know that there isn’t someone like an Ashlyn coming in. They’ll have to play a little bit longer.”

The starters’ production was solid, but the star was freshman reserve Joyce Edwards. Edwards notched her second career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and still only played 22 minutes.

“She was relentless on the boards,” Staley said. “She was engaged offensively and defensively, and she’s halfway through her freshman year, so I think she’s really getting to know how to play, how to really play at this level and make a big impact.”

Edwards only averaged 4.7 rebounds going into the game, but she was focused on making a bigger impact on the glass.

“Extra efforts was something coach was getting on me about,” Edwards said. “I feel like I executed that today.”

Surprisingly, Staley said she believes Watkins’ injury has “freed us up.” It seems counterintuitive that losing one of their best players could make them play “free” or “unafraid.” But that’s what Staley thinks, and she explained her reasoning. 

[USC-Texas WBB: Win tickets, parking]

“They know that there’s a lot more playing time out there,” she said. “The minutes Ashlyn plays, and when you’re needed, sometimes it frees you up. We needed Joyce and Chloe and Feagin. And Feagin hit a three, Chloe was calm, Joyce is doing her thing, because they know they have to do that. “

Even without Watkins, South Carolina tied a season-high with nine blocked shots. That included a block apiece from Maryam Dauda and Sakima Walker, two seldom-used reserves who are facing bigger roles. 

“Coach had a little talk with us, and she was like, we don’t have to play like Ash,” Dauda said. “We just have to come in and everybody has to do their job and fill in that void.”

“I do think that Maryam is going to have a breakout,” Staley said. “I do. We’re just waiting for it.”

Along with redshirt freshman Adhel Tac, the trio of reserves has a chance to prove themselves now. Still, Staley cautioned, nothing is guaranteed.

“We’ll bring everybody else along and spot them here or there,” Staley said. “It is about production. If any one of the three, meaning Sakima, Adhel, or Maryam, play well, I’m going to leave them out there. They’re going to play extended minutes. If they don’t, then I gotta pull them.”