South Carolina beats Maryland 101-93 in Paris opener

South Carolina opened its 2026-27 season with a 101-93 victory over No. 20 Maryland on Monday in Paris.

The top-ranked Gamecocks built a substantial lead in the first half before surviving a late rally by the Terrapins. Maryland cut a 31-point deficit to single digits with 4:30 remaining in the game. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley called a timeout to halt the momentum. Her team responded with a 7-0 run to secure the win.

The season began for both programs on the same day in France. South Carolina entered the contest as the No. 1 team in the country. Maryland held the No. 20 ranking. The match served as the opening game for both rosters in the new academic year.

Maryland struggled significantly in the opening minutes. The Terrapins shot 3 of 15 from the field in the first ten minutes. They started the game 1 of 6 from the field. South Carolina capitalized on the slow start. The Gamecocks made their first seven field goal attempts. They finished the first quarter shooting 9 of 15.

South Carolina gained an early advantage through fast breaks. The team recorded 27 points on fast-break opportunities in the first half. They also scored 21 points off Maryland turnovers. Joyce Edwards found her rhythm during the second quarter. She missed her only two shots in the opening period but went 6 of 8 in the second. She finished the half with 13 points.

Alicia Tournabize and Justine Loubens played in a homecoming game against their homeland. Tournabize is a sophomore from France. She became the first documented French woman to dunk in a game in September 2024. She had an early chance for an alley-oop dunk on a pass from Jerzy Robinson. The pass went in for a 3-pointer instead. It extended the lead to 33-13 with 25.6 seconds left in the first quarter. Loubens, a freshman from southern France, entered in the second quarter. She recorded a steal and an assist on a transition basket from Edwards.

Maryland attempted to erase the gap in the second half. Addi Mack led the Terrapins in the comeback effort. She scored 31 of her career-high 35 points in the second half. She shot 14 of 20 from the field. She hit 6 of 10 three-point attempts. Her stepback jumper cut the deficit to 40-27 with 6:12 left in the first half. South Carolina answered with a 6-0 run to stop the momentum. The Gamecocks hit seven of their last nine shots of the half. Edwards hit a jumper from the left wing as the buzzer sounded to make it 61-33.

The second half saw Maryland close the distance. The Terrapins reduced the 61-33 halftime lead to 89-80 with 4:30 left. Staley took a timeout to regroup. South Carolina scored the next seven points. Maryland pulled within 96-90. Jordan Lee and Jerzy Robinson each made two free throws to hold the lead. Lee finished with 13 points. Robinson and Tessa Johnson scored 15 points each for the Gamecocks. Agot Mateer added 20 points for South Carolina.

South Carolina will play No. 12 North Carolina on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Maryland will host George Mason on Sunday.