Tessa Johnson and Madina Okot score 18 points each as No. 3 South Carolina beats Providence 96-55

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Tessa Johnson and Madina Okot each scored 18 points to lead third-ranked South Carolina over Providence 96-55 on Sunday, but the Gamecocks also lost guard Ta’Niya Latson to injury.

Latson, South Carolina’s second-leading scorer who led the country in points per game last season, left in the second quarter after injuring her lower left leg at Colonial Life Arena. She was helped off the court with no weight on the foot.

“She’s smiling,” coach Dawn Staley said. “She was here, she got treatment all through the second half. She just walked out. We’ll look at her tomorrow.”

Latson had 10 points when she departed. The Gamecocks (13-1) out-scored the Friars (8-6) on a day where their defense wasn’t great but they had more than enough points to win.

Johnson hit five 3-pointers. Okot notched her 10th double-double, tying her with Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers for the most in the country.

“We knew they were going to collapse really hard (on Edwards),” said freshman Agot Makeer, who returned from missing the last five games because of concussion protocol to get a double-double. “We started to hit the one-mores a little more.”

Those extra passes did help. The Gamecocks recorded 24 assists on 36 field goals. Six were in double figures, including Latson.

Sabou Gueye led Providence with 16 points.

Providence: The Friars gave the Gamecocks fits by constantly beating South Carolina’s offense off the dribble.

“We were a little undisciplined,” Staley said. “When you get somebody’s very best, you just have to ride the wave. I thought we were scoring at a good clip, moving the ball.”

South Carolina: If Latson is out for a lengthy amount of time, it removes the Gamecocks’ most dependable scorer. Forward Joyce Edwards, who reached the national Top 10 in points per game last week, was bottled up in the first half by the Friars’ defense and future opponents will doubtless try the same tactic.

Edwards finished with 14 points. She had at least 25 in each of her last four games.

The Gamecocks’ thin bench will soon be augmented. Freshman center Alicia Tournebize, a 6-foot-7 player from France, committed to South Carolina during the holiday break but has not yet reported to school.

She will be playing by January but the exact date is unknown. The Gamecocks at most dress 10 players but have only had their full assortment for five of 13 games.

The Gamecocks came into the game as the No. 15 team in the country at making 3-pointers (38.07%). South Carolina hit 12 of 29 against Providence (41.4%).

Providence: The Friars step right back into Big East play by hosting No. 1 Connecticut on Dec. 31.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks begin SEC play by hosting Alabama on Jan. 1.

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