No. 1 South Carolina routs shorthanded UConn to stay undefeated

South Carolina (23-0) continued its recent dominance of UConn (20-5) on Sunday, knocking off the No. 11 Huskies 83-65 to stay undefeated at 23-0. 

The No. 1 team in the nation looked like it against a shorthanded UConn squad. The Gamecocks never trailed on Sunday, paced by four players in double-figures and standout efforts from guards Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson. 

Paopao finished with a team-high 21 points, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Johnson recorded a double-double, posting 10 points and 12 boards. 

South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso missed Sunday's game as she's away competing for Team Brazil in an Olympics qualifying tournament. However, the Gamecocks didn't miss a beat, with forwards Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts picking up the slack. The pair combined for 29 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. 

Sunday's victory was South Carolina's fourth in a row over UConn, once the undisputed top dog of the college basketball world. After the game, Johnson explained what the win says about the future of the Gamecock's program. 

"It says the future is bright," Johnson said via 107.5 The Game. "Not even that -- we're a young team, and we're just going to bring in more studs and firehouses to this program." 

As for UConn, the loss looks lopsided on paper, but the team fought hard throughout most of the contest in what was always going to be an uphill battle. They entered the game with only nine healthy players, while the same number registered at least a point for South Carolina in the first half alone. The Huskies simply didn't have the depth to keep up. 

Conversely, South Carolina has emerged as a basketball powerhouse, with both the women's and men's programs thriving. Following Sunday's victory, the teams are a combined 44-3, the best mark in the country.