By james art 
With the numbers
3 – The Gamecocks have won three national championships in the last seven NCAA Tournaments.
4 – South Carolina enters this season ranked No. 1 in both polls for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
7 –Seven Gamecocks were on the Naismith Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame starting 5 watch lists.
The Michigan Series
The Gamecocks and Wolverines played three times before tonight, with South Carolina winning all three games by an average of 15.7 points. The last meeting was in December 1995.
Season opener
South Carolina is 14-2 to start the season under head coach Dawn Staley, with the two losses coming in her first three seasons at the helm. Five of those 16 season openers were against ranked opponents.
The Gamecocks open the season with a neutral game for the second year in a row. College basketball’s historic debut last season in Paris saw #6/4 South Carolina top #10/10 Notre Dame 100-71 on November 6th.
Exhibition action
For the first time in program history, South Carolina played two exhibition games this season, defeating Memphis 106-63 (Oct. 15) and Clayton State 126-42 (Oct. 28). The Gamecocks shot over 50.0 percent from the field in both instances.
Freshman Joyce Edwards recorded double-doubles in each, averaging 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds to lead the team in both categories.
First watch
Seven Gamecocks were named to preseason watch lists for the Naismith Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame starting five, including three who were also named to the Jersey Mike Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List presented by Axia Time.
Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao were on the lists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation’s top point guard. MiLaysia Fulwiley joined them on the Naismith Trophy list while also appearing on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award list for the nation’s top defenders.
Bree Hall joined Fulwiley on the preseason Ann Meyers Draysdale Award list. Maryam Dauda was among the 20 for the Cheryl Miller Award (small forward) and Sania Feagin earned a spot on the Katrina McClain Award (power forward). Sakima Walker rounded out the positional honors with a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List (center), continuing a long streak of Gamecocks on that award’s watch lists.