Columbia, S.C. – No. 8/10 South Carolina used the middle quarters to pull away from Alabama State to hand the Lady Hornets a 103-43 loss in non-conference basketball action inside of Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday night.
 
Alabama State (0-1) stuck with the Gamecocks (1-0) in the first quarter but was outscored 62-22 in the second and third quarters that gave South Carolina all the momentum for the rest of the contest. Additionally, the Gamecocks' defense was too much to handle as the Lady Hornets shot 20.3 percent (14-of-63) from the field with only one made three.
 
Sophomore Ayana Emmanuel led the way with 12 points including a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe alongside seven rebounds and an assist. Freshman Aniyah Smith nearly posted a double double in her first collegiate game with 11 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Lady Hornets struggled offensively to begin the game finding themselves down 10-0 but was able to outscore the Gamecocks in the final minutes, 11-7 to trail by only six at the end of the first. For majority of the second quarter, Alabama State stuck within single digits but a three-pointer by Brea Beal at 4:19 allowed the Gamecocks to gain a 12-point lead that it would not let up.
 
South Carolina posted four double-digit scorers on the night led by Aliyah Boston who recorded a triple double in 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks. The Gamecocks shot 49.3 percent (37-of-75) including a blistering 43.8 clip (7-of-16) from behind the arc.
 
Quick Hits
- Emmanuel recorded her 25th career double-digit outing and was one rebound shy of tying her career high
- Freshman Hannah White grabbed a game-high tying three steals and made four free throws en route to six points in her first collegiate action
- Five of Smith's eight rebounds were offensive helping the team grab 22 offensive boards to South Carolina's 20
 
Up Next
Alabama State welcomes Mobile for its home-opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside of the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
Season tickets are available for the 2019-20 season by calling 334-229-4551 or visiting BamaStateSports.com. Those interested in courtside seating, call Deputy Director of Athletics Terrance Jones at 334-207-1756 or email him at tjones@alasu.edu.
 
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