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The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Southern 103-34 in the first round of the 2026 women's NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks entered the tournament field as a No. 1 seed and showed how they earned that ranking with the 69-point victory over the 16-seed.
South Carolina has undergone a complete overhaul of its program since head coach Dawn Staley took over in 2008. The Gamecocks have won three national championships in her tenure, and all nine of their SEC conference tournament championships came under Staley.
The Gamecocks' 69-point win over Southern is one of the largest margins of victory all time in the women's NCAA Tournament. The win is also tied for the second-biggest blowout in the women's tournament since 2018, matching UConn's 103-34 win over Arkansas State in 2025.
Here is more on where South Carolina's blowout win over Southern ranks among the biggest in women's NCAA Tournament history.
MORE: 2026 updated women's NCAA Tournament bracket
Biggest blowouts in women's NCAA Tournament history
South Carolina's impressive opening round win over Southern is one of the best performances in women's tournament history. Still, the 69-point differential doesn't even break the top-five of the biggest blowouts in March Madness ever.
Here is a look at the biggest blowouts in women's NCAA Tournament history.
| Rank | Point Differential | Result | Year |
| 1 | 89 | Baylor def. Texas Southern 119-30 | 2017 |
| 2 | 88 | UConn def. Saint Francis (PA) 140-52 | 2018 |
| 3 | 74 | Tennessee def. North Carolina A&T 111-37 | 1994 |
| 4 | 72 | Cheyney def. Monmouth 107-35 | 1983 |
| 72 | UConn def. LIU 101-29 | 2001 | |
| 6 | 71 | UConn def. Hampton 116-45 | 2000 |
| 7 | 69 | South Carolina def. Southern 103-34 | 2026 |
| 69 | UConn def. Arkansas State 103-34 | 2025 | |
| 69 | Duke def. Southern 96-27 | 2006 | |
| 10 | 68 | UConn def. Lehigh 103-35 | 1997 |
| 68 | UConn def. Idaho 105-37 | 2013 |
What is South Carolina's largest margin of victory?
South Carolina's 69-point win over Southern set a program record for the largest margin of victory in the women's NCAA Tournament .
South Carolina defeated Southern by 69 points 😅
It's South Carolina's largest margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament. pic.twitter.com/7ohEdt8Tda
The Gamecocks women's basketball team was put on the map when Dawn Staley took over the program. South Carolina's largest overall margin of victory came in 2023. The Gamecocks took on Mississippi Valley State and won 101-19. This is an 82-point margin of victory.
MORE: Carlan Gay's expert 2026 women's NCAA Tournament bracket
Biggest blowouts in South Carolina March Madness history
The Gamecocks had their biggest blowout victory in the women's NCAA Tournament by beating Southern by 69 points. We know that that is now the biggest point differential for South Carolina in a tournament win, but here is more on their other biggest blowout victories in the women's NCAA Tournament.
| Rank | Point Differential | Result | Year |
| 1 | 69 | def. Southern 103-34 | 2026 |
| 2 | 60 | def. Tennessee Tech 108-48 | 2025 |
| 3 | 58 | def. Howard 79-21 | 2022 |
| 4 | 43 | def. South Dakota St. 79-36 | 2022 |
| 5 | 40 | def. Quinnipiac 93-53 | 2017 |
| 6 | 39 | def. Buffalo 94-55 | 2019 |
| 7 | 36 | def. Syracuse 76-40 | 2021 |
| 8 | 35 | def. North Carolina 74-39 | 2015 |
| 9 | 34 | def. South Florida 89-55 | 2023 |
What was the spread for South Carolina vs. Southern?
The spread refers to how many points a team is favored to win over another. With South Carolina being a No. 1 seed and one of the best teams in the nation, taking on Southern, a 16-seed that made the tournament after winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, the spread was expected to be extremely lopsided.
The Gamecocks opened as 52.5-point favorites. Even with a spread of over 50 points, South Carolina still covered, winning by 69 points.
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