South Carolina’s defense locked in during the second and third quarters, forcing Mississippi State into eight straight misses over a nine-minute stretch. The Bulldogs, who average 18 assists per game, were held to just eight for the afternoon as USC disrupted passing lanes and smothered ball handlers.

No. 2 South Carolina largely controlled its SEC opener against Missouri, overcoming a few early challenges en route to a dominant 83-49 road win Thursday night. The Gamecocks women’s basketball team has now won eight games in a row following a Nov. 24 loss at No. 1 UCLA, which snapped a 43-game winning streak.

Ashford became popular among South Carolina during his lone season in Columbia after he transferred to provide depth and competition in the quarterback room, lost the job to Sellers in the offseason and still performed well in spot duty.