“I had no idea how they got beat at UCLA”: Texas HC Vic Schaefer admits shock to Dawn Staley after loss vs South Carolina

Dawn Staley's South Carolina lost to the UCLA Bruins on Nov. 24 and it caught many people by surprise. One among them was Texas Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer.

Following the No. 7 Longhorns' 67-50 loss to the Gamecocks on Sunday, Schaefer reflected on his team's performance as well as their opponents. He noted the sheer number of turnovers his side forced from South Carolina despite the defeat, expressing his disbelief that the defending national champs lost to the Bruins.

"We had 28 more shots. We had 14 more offensive rebounds, we forced 22 turnovers, and we got beat by 17," Schaefer said. "You can raise your hand if you've ever covered a team that had those stats.

"As I told Dawn, I had no idea how they got beat at UCLA. That's a really good basketball team over there. So we'll learn from it and we'll move on," he added.

Dawn Staley's South Carolina retains spot in the new AP Top 25 poll

Since that loss to UCLA, Dawn Staley and South Carolina have bounced back in resounding fashion. They currently have a 16-1 record, including an active win streak of 11 consecutive games. This momentum gained well-earned recognition from the AP Top 25 voters.

The Associated Press released the new rankings on Monday and the Gamecocks maintain their place at the second spot with 740 points. They trail only UCLA, who has 773 points as they remain undefeated with a 16-0 record.

South Carolina has been highly effective on both sides of the ball this season. They produce 82 points on 47.3% shooting from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc, blowing out opponents by a margin of 27.4 points per game.

They do not have an undisputed scorer, but have players who can contribute when needed. Joyce Edwards currently leads the group with 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, coming off the bench. Te-Hina Paopao follows suit with 11.1 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest, while MiLaysia Fulwiley puts up 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per outing.

Dawn Staley and the No. 2 Gamecocks will prepare for their next ranked matchup, facing the No. 19 Alabama Crimson Tide at the Coleman Coliseum on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.