CHARLOTTE, NC — Courtney Banghart had no delusions about the opponent that just thumped her North Carolina Tar Heels.
“Let's be clear. There's a separation between South Carolina and everybody else right now,” said Banghart, the head coach of UNC’s women’s basketball team. “They're really, really, really good. They expose where you need to be and where you need to work to get to, because they're going to be in that – if not the final four, then the final game, if not the winners (of the national championship), right?”
At the fourth annual Ally Tip-Off at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Sunday, Nov. 8, Dawn Staley’s No. 1-ranked Gamecocks made a loud statement with their 84-39 win over the No. 11 Tar Heels: South Carolina is still the team
to beat in women’s college basketball.
For Banghart, now in her eighth season leading the Tar Heels, there’s a reason why she keeps scheduling South Carolina in the non-conference portion of the season. For her, the Gamecocks are the measuring stick.
“We can kind of see the standard early and build to it,” Banghart said.
South Carolina blew the game open by outscoring North Carolina 19-7 in the second quarter, then 32-9 in the third. The Gamecocks’ advantage in size allowed them to grab 20 offensive rebounds which they then flipped into 25 second-chance points. In the paint, the Gamecocks scored 36 points to the Tar Heels’ 14. And South Carolina’s intensity on defense paved the way for it to force 24 turnovers which it turned into 38 points.
In nearly every facet of the game, South Carolina looked bigger, faster, stronger and more efficient.
And Staley doesn’t believe this team is even close to reaching its full potential.
“I think we're a work in progress. You'll see us make jumps from game to game,” Staley said. “We put 40 minutes together. I was really, really proud of the group that finished the game. North Carolina never gave up, so it was a great opportunity for all of us to learn.”
Chloe Kitts rounding into All-American form
Sunday marked Chloe Kitts’ second game back from the knee injury that sidelined her all of last season. The former SEC Tournament MVP led the Gamecocks on the scoreboard and the glass, notching 17 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes of play. Kitts shot 7-of-12 from the floor and also collected two assists and a steal.
Kitts, who tore the ACL in her right knee during a practice in October 2025, said after the game that her body “feels good.”
“Just trying to get my confidence back,” Kitts said. “My team just gives me confidence every day, and I'm just super blessed to be back out there. I feel like I'm more relaxed than (before the injury) actually. I feel like the game has slowed down for me and I'm just trying to do whatever my team needs.”
Along with Tessa Johnson and Ashlyn Watkins, Kitts is one of three contributors to South Carolina’s 2024 national championship winning team that are still on the roster. What the Gamecocks need her to be this season is exactly what she showed on Sunday – someone who can consistently provide scoring and rebounding, be a stopper on defense, and be a leader on the court and on the bench.
“I mean, we all know what Chloe can do. Chloe can get a double-double like that,” Staley said, snapping her fingers. “Chloe is a glue player that is very unselfish and she can find other players. Today was a good example of what she's capable of. I think muscle memory will get her back to those times in which she can be counted on.”
Jerzy Robinson being asked to adapt to point guard role
A big question coming into the season for South Carolina was at the point guard position. For the past four seasons, Raven Johnson had been the floor general for the Gamecocks, guiding them to three SEC titles and four trips to the Final Four. It seemed like Maddy McDaniel was in position to inherit the reins to the starting job, but she left the program in the offseason.
For now, Staley seems to be using a point-guard-by-committee system, giving Tessa Johnson, Jordan Lee, Brooke Quarles-Daniels and Jerzy Robinson reps at the position.
But Robinson shined in that role off the bench on Sunday. She played 21 minutes – the most of any of South Carolina’s reserves – and notched 10 points, two assists and two rebounds.
A 6-foot combo guard from California’s Sierra Canyon High School, Robinson was ranked as the sixth-best recruit in the 2026 class by ESPN, but running the point is not her natural position. Still, it’s an adjustment that Staley is tasking her with making and hoping its a role the freshman can grow into.
“We've asked her a daunting task of being the point guard for our team, which is out of position for her, really. But we feel like if she can actually she can play the position, it's only going to help her be a better (shooting guard) or (small forward) or wing player,” Staley said. “And she's done a great job. She's just embraced it. I think she bets on herself. If we told her she had to play (center), she would approach it the same way.
“She knows she's going to play. The more experience we can get her out there playing in these big-time games, I think it’s going to help us in the long run.”
Kate Harpring a focus for South Carolina
It’s rare that a freshman is at the top of a scouting report for South Carolina, but that’s exactly where North Carolina’s Kate Harpring was for Dawn Staley. After piling up 29 points in a preseason exhibition against Maryland, and 21 points and five assists in a season-opening loss to Oklahoma, Staley knew the key to stopping the Tar Heels was to contain Harpring.
And South Carolina did that, holding the National High School Player of the Year to eight points on 3-of-16 shooting and forcing her into six turnovers.
“They got an elite guard that is capable of getting a double-double every night. We made a concerted effort to cut down Kate's vision and make it very difficult for her to catch the ball in spots where she could be effective, and always showed her crowd no matter where she touched the basketball,” Staley said. “You had to really gameplan for her because if she's able to do the things that she's capable of doing, she can make everybody look good while also making herself look good.”
The defense that South Carolina showed Harpring should be taken as a sign of respect. While the freshman phenom struggled in this game, Banghart has faith that she’ll learn from it and improve.
“I think it's a kid that wants the smoke,” Banghart said of Harpring. “She's got an incredibly bright future and she's going to learn college basketball as she plays it. I see a kid that goes and plays the No. 1 team in the country and is their focus. I think that says a lot.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina routs North Carolina in women's basketball showdown: Takeaways
