When South Carolina and Texas met in November, the Longhorns handed the Gamecocks their first loss of the season with a 66-64 win. This time around, South Carolina was able to secure a three-point win despite strong performances from Madison Booker and Rori Harmon.
Like most of the season, Dawn Staley relied heavily on her five starters. Joyce Edwards, Ta’Niya Latson, and Raven Johnson all played over 30 minutes. Adhel Tac, Agot Makeer, and Maddy McDaniels also played notable minutes off the bench, though.
For Makeer, this game was a chance to solidify her newly earned spot in Staley’s rotation. The first time South Carolina played against Texas, Makeer only got three minutes of playing time. After missing some time with a concussion, the freshman earned Staley’s trust when she filled in for Ta’Niya Latson, who had to sit out with an ankle injury. Texas was the toughest competition the Gamecocks faced since then, and Makeer rose to the challenge and left no doubt about her ability to play impactful minutes.
Agot Makeer played a strong game off the bench
Makeer played 13 minutes—a lot less than in her last five games, but still a lot for a freshman in a tightly contested game against one of the top teams in the country. During those 13 minutes, Makeer scored eight points, grabbed two rebounds, and got her hands on a steal.
One of her more impressive plays was an and-one layup over Texas sophomore Justice Carleton. At 6’1”, Makeer brings great size and length to the guard spot. That allows her to get to the rim on offense—something she did without fear in her limited minutes against Texas—and bother opposing guards as a defender.
Raven Johnson compared Makeer to DeWanna Bonner after the game. Bonner is one of the best two-way players in the WNBA. After 16 long seasons in the WNBA, Bonner is currently the third-leading scorer in league history, trailing only Diana Taurasi and Tina Charles. On the other end of the floor, Bonner is known for her long arms and ability to guard multiple positions. If Makeer can replicate just a fraction of Bonner’s success, her basketball future will be bright.
Staley is more focused on getting consistent production out of Makeer than chasing stardom for her at the moment. After the game, Staley said, “She’s reliable, and that’s a big word to say when it comes to a freshman.”
Makeer was South Carolina’s leading scorer off the bench. Tac added one point, and McDaniel and Tournebize, who made her long-awaited debut, went scoreless. The freshman guard single-handedly outscored Texas’s bench, which was huge in a game in which Joyce Edwards went 3-11 from the field.