The South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by Dawn Staley, just had their seniors’ night, which also honored other players apart from their graduating players. On Thursday, Feb. 26, coach Staley and the 2025-26 Gamecocks had their penultimate regular-season game against coach Kellie Harper’s Missouri Tigers in the former’s home floor, the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.
Captured by college basketball reporter Matt Dowell all over his X/Twitter page, the Gamecocks program bestowed and honored some of their outstanding players in their final home game of the year. As is the routine for collegiate hoops teams nationwide every season, the pre-game ceremony started with Staley and the rest of the Gamecocks faithful honoring their graduating seniors in Maryam Dauda, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot.
Okot, Latson and Dauda were all introduced under the spotlight to the roaring cheers of the Gamecocks home crowd. They each walked from the tunnel to the center of the court with their family members and loved ones, while wearing and holding flower bouquets they got. They were then greeted by Staley as their jersey was being displayed on the court as well.
Following all of this, spitfire scorer Joyce Edwards was also honored by the team as she recently surpassed 1,000 career points in her collegiate hoops tenure. This was also captured by Dowell as it followed an eventful pre-game ceremony for the South Carolina-based program. Edwards then embraced Staley as she was being presented on the jumbotron.
The Gamecocks are aiming to get back to the college basketball mountaintop in the 2026 national tournament after their bitter loss in the 2024-25 season. South Carolina went all the way last year to the 2025 NCAA championship game, but unfortunately lost to coach Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies by 23 points, 82-59. Staley and Co. were aiming for consecutive NCAA titles as the 2024 national champions.
The South Carolina Gamecocks Outmatched The Missouri Tigers By 41 Points
The celebrations continued even after the game by the South Carolina Gamecocks as they actually went on to beat the Missouri Tigers by an astounding 41 points, 112-71, in front of their fans and supporters.
Fittingly enough, senior Madina Okot led the way with 26 points and 17 rebounds in just 20 minutes. Joyce Edwards and Ta’Niya Latson added 23 and 17 points, respectively.
This gives the Gamecocks their 28th win of the year, with just two losses total so far (14-1 SEC). South Carolina now hopes to end their regular season strong against the Kentucky Wildcats.
