“Putting belt to a**”: College hoops fans stunned as Dawn Staley’s South Carolina show no mercy to Iowa State

The loss to the UCLA Bruins on Sunday marked the first of the season for No. 4 South Carolina. This emphasized to Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley that her team needed to dominate in their next matchup — which they did.

During Thursday's game against the No. 15 Iowa State Cyclones, the Gamecocks executed on both sides of the ball. They created plenty of scoring opportunities while applying pressure on their opponents.

At halftime, South Carolina led 35-9 as it overwhelmed the Cyclones in multiple areas. Fans were wowed by the Gamecocks' resounding performance, seeing a return to form by the defending national champions.

Here are some of their reactions.

"Dawn Staley putting belt to a** right now," one fan said.

"Dawn Staley made sure these girls didn’t eat any Thanksgiving food before this game. She let them walk by the kitchen and smell the food but didn’t let them eat. Y’all can eat after the game…I want y’all hAngry playing this game," another fan said.

"Dawn Staley showing no mercy," one fan wrote.

Others believed that Staley took the loss to UCLA personally with how South Carolina responded today.

"Dawn Staley took that UCLA loss personally. Woof," a fan said.

"South Carolina is up 35-9 in the 2nd vs 15th ranked Iowa St. I couldn’t IMAGINE the practices Dawn Staley put them through after the UCLA loss. She has their FULL attention now lol," one fan wrote.

"I’m sure Dawn Staley’s practices this week after the loss to #UCLA were brutal. #Gamecocks have opened up a can on #IowaState in Fort Myers. #inDawnWeTrust," another fan commented.

What's next for Dawn Staley and South Carolina

Dawn Staley and South Carolina entered Thursday's game with a 5-1 record. They were averaging 77.5 points on 43.9% shooting, including 36.1% from downtown. On defense, they held opponents to 57.5 points on 36.7% shooting.

Three players are scoring in double-digits: Te-Hina Paopao leads the way with 14.2 points and 3.3 assists, Chloe Kitts is averaging 11.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg, while MiLaysia Fulwiley is recording 10.7 ppg off the bench.

South Carolina will face Purdue at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.