On Thursday night, South Carolina showcased their dominance as they blitzed #8 Duke to kickstart the game. Chloe Kitts emerged as the star, scoring a career-high 21 points and leading the team to an 81 - 70 win. The Gamecocks led by almost 20 points for most of the second and third quarters but had to endure a late rally from Duke.

Chloe Kitts' Heroic Performance

After South Carolina's lead was cut to 69 - 61 with a 10 - 0 Duke run in the fourth quarter, Dawn Staley put the starters back in. Chloe Kitts then went to work, scoring seven straight points for the Gamecocks and nine of the next 10. "My teammates kept finding me and coach had ran a play a couple of times for me," Kitts said. "They just kept telling me to keep attacking." Staley praised Kitts, saying, "That was all (Raven Johnson). Ray called it in the first half and when we needed a bucket she went back to it and kept going back to it. Chloe delivered. She was due for a good one." Kitts finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, tying her career high for points and registering her third double - double of the season.

Balanced Scoring Effort

Kitts led a balanced scoring effort from South Carolina. All ten Gamecocks that played also scored. Sania Feagin and Te - Hina Paoapo each had 11 points. Freshmen Edwards and Maddy McDaniel had eight and seven points off the bench, respectively. This balanced scoring kept the Duke defense on their toes throughout the game.

Early Game Dominance and Late Challenges

Duke scored first and briefly held a 4 - 2 lead. But then Bree Hall hit a three to give South Carolina the lead, and they went on a 10 - 0 run. South Carolina added 6 - 0 and 7 - 0 runs to lead by as much as 18 in the first quarter. Duke cut into the lead in the second quarter, but Joyce Edwards scored six points during an 8 - 0 run that put South Carolina up by 21. However, Duke made a late rally, cutting the lead to single digits. South Carolina didn't make a field goal over the last 4:12 of the game but still shot 57.4% and 5 - 10 from three. Duke shot 50% in the fourth quarter but only 44.8% for the game.

Notable Moments and Details

South Carolina held its annual Teddy Bear Toss on Thursday, along with a blanket drive. New athletics director Jeremiah Donati addressed the crowd before the game, and President Michael Amiridis started the "Game - Cock" cheer. Former Gamecock Aliyah Boston sat courtside and introduced a new commercial for Experience Columbia. Kitts seems to have a good record against Duke, having had 14 points and nine rebounds last season in Durham. She wore a Collin Murray - Boyles hoodie postgame. South Carolina was 14 - 19 from the line. Duke outrebounded South Carolina by seven in the second half and five for the game. Duke's leading scorer Reigan Richardson only played one minute in the first quarter and finished with three points on 1 - 8 shooting. MiLaysia Fulwiley had three points on 1 - 7 shooting. South Carolina had 16 fast break points, but only two came in the second half. Dawn Staley wore a dark gray Louis Vuitton sweater over a white t - shirt. Announced attendance was 15,677. South Carolina's next game is Sunday against TCU in Fort Worth.