No. 3 South Carolina opens SEC Tournament title defense with 87-64 rout of No. 17 Kentucky

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Joyce Edwards scored 21 points, Madina Okot added 12 points and 13 rebounds and No. 3 South Carolina routed 17th-ranked Kentucky 87-64 in the first of four Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinal games Friday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Tessa Johnson added 15 points and Ta'Niya Latson 12 for the top-seeded Gamecocks, who raced to a 17-point halftime lead and never let up.

South Carolina (30-2) looked laser focused as it began its quest for a fourth straight SEC Tournament title and 10th in the past 12 seasons under coach Dawn Staley, shooting 53% from the field, forcing 19 turnovers and outscoring Kentucky 46-24 in the paint.

Amelia Hassett had 15 points and Clara Strack scored 13 to lead Kentucky (23-10).

The Gamecocks will play Saturday against the winner of the game between No. 6 LSU and No. 7 Oklahoma.

Kentucky, the ninth seed, was playing its third game in three days following a 94-64 win over Arkansas and a 76-61 victory over Georgia with Strack combining for 53 points and 21 rebounds.

Whether or not fatigue played a factor, the Wildcats simply looked a step behind the fresh Gamecocks all game.

South Carolina raced out to a 44-27 lead at the half, using a big height advantage to dominate the paint 20-12 and a stifling defense to force 10 turnovers. Tessa Johnson provided the early spark with 12 points in the first half and Okot had a double-double before the break.

South Carolina kept its foot on the gas in the second half, using a 13-6 run to build a 24-point lead and was never threatened again.

The big lead allowed Staley to rest her starters for the majority of the second half to keep them fresh for Saturday.

Kentucky: The Wildcats will await their NCAA Tournament fate, where they hope they've done enough to earn a top 16 spot and the opportunity to host the first two rounds.

South Carolina: Will play on Saturday in the semifinals.