CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Te-Hina Paopao scored 23 points, MiLaysia Fulwiley chipped in with 18 points off the bench and No. 1 South Carolina passed its first big test of the season with a 71-57 victory over ninth-ranked North Carolina State on Sunday in the Ally Tipoff at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
Together Paopao and Fulwiley were 18 of 30 from the field as the Gamecocks (2-0) shot 50%.
Zamareya Jones had 16 points and Aziaha James added 13 points to lead NC State (1-1).
The Gamecocks used a 14-5 spurt at the end of the second quarter led by Fulwiley to build a 39-30 lead at halftime.
Paopao's 3-pointer and baseline floater to open the third quarter pushed the Gamecocks lead to 12 and they never never seriously threatened again. Bree Hall's driving layup put South Carolina up by 20 with 2:42 left in the third quarter.
The Wolfpack would cut the lead to seven with 4:32 left in the game, but couldn't complete the comeback.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks had some outstanding interior passes leading to easy layups and showed their championship mettle in the second half.
NC State: The Wolfpack just didn't have the size or athleticism to keep up with the top-ranked Gamecocks.
South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins received a loud ovation when she checked into the game in the first quarter. It was her first action since she was cleared by the school to play after charges of assault and kidnapping against her were dismissed. She had been suspended from team activities since her arrest on Aug. 31, although she was permitted to take part in classes.
South Carolina held a 40-25 edge on the glass.
NC State hosts Kent State on Thursday night. South Carolina hosts Coppin State on Thursday night.
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South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards passes between NC State guard Madison Hayes and guard Aziaha James during the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
NC State guard Zoe Brooks vies for the ball against South Carolina during the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
South Carolina forward Sania Feagin, left, vies for the ball with NC State forward Maddie Cox during the first half of an NCAA women's college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks on Wednesday followed Wall Street lower as momentum cooled for the torrid “Trump trade” that swept U.S. markets following Donald Trump’s presidential victory.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.7% to 38,719.60, as wholesale inflation reached its highest level since July of last year. The corporate goods price index, which measures the price changes of goods traded in the corporate sector, rose 3.4% in October year-over-year, according to Bank of Japan data. The increase was partly attributed to the decline of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar.
South Korea’s Kospi lost 2.6% to 2,417.16. Samsung Electronics shares fell by 4.5% in Wednesday trading, reaching their lowest level in over four years.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped for a fourth day, declining 0.6% to 19,721.10. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.3% to 3,431.82.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.8% to 8,193.40.
U.S. futures dropped while oil prices were higher.
On Tuesday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3% to 5,983.99, a day after setting its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.9% to 43,910.98, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1% to 19,281.40.
Stocks had been broadly rising since last week on expectations that Trump’s preference for lower tax rates and other policies may mean faster economic growth, as well as bigger U.S. government debt and higher inflation. Some areas of the market rocketed on particularly high-grade fuel, such as smaller U.S. stocks seen as benefiting the most from Trump’s “America First” ideas.
They gave back some of their big gains Tuesday, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell a market-leading 1.8%. Even Tesla, which is run by Trump’s ally Elon Musk, sank. It dropped 6.1% for its first loss since before Election Day.
A jump in Treasury yields also added pressure on the stock market, as trading of U.S. government bonds resumed following Monday’s Veterans Day holiday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.42% on Tuesday from 4.31% late Friday, which is a notable move for the bond market.
Treasury yields have been climbing sharply since September, in large part because the U.S. economy has remained much more resilient than feared. The hope is that it can continue to stay solid as the Federal Reserve continues to cut interest rates in order to keep the job market humming, now that it’s helped get inflation nearly down to its 2% target.
Some of the rise in yields has also been because of Trump. He talks up tariffs and other policies that economists say could drive inflation and the U.S. government’s debt higher. That puts upward pressure on Treasury yields and could hinder the Fed’s plans to cut interest rates. While lower rates can boost the economy, they can also give inflation more fuel.
The next update on inflation will arrive Wednesday, when the U.S. government will give the latest reading on prices that U.S. consumers are paying across the country. Economists expect it to show inflation accelerated to 2.6% in October from 2.4% the month before. But they’re also looking for underlying inflation trends, which ignore prices for groceries and fuel that can zigzag sharply from one month to another, to stay steady at 3.3%.
In the crypto market, bitcoin soared to another record before pulling back. Trump has embraced cryptocurrencies generally and pledged to make his country the crypto capital of the world. Bitcoin got as high as $89,995, according to CoinDesk, before dipping back toward $89,500. It started the year below $43,000.
In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained 18 cents to $68.30 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 19 cents to $72.08 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 155.06 Japanese yen from 154.51 yen. The euro cost $1.0610, down from $1.0625.
A pair of traders work in their booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person rides a bicycle in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index and US dollar/Japanese Yen exchange rate at a securities firm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Person walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
