South Carolina to face Xavier, North Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s women basketball team will face several powerful opponents on the road this season with scheduled trips to Xavier, Illinois and North Carolina State.

The Gamecocks will also play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach as part of its nonconference schedule released Monday.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says the early games would get the team ready for the Southeastern Conference schedule.

The Gamecocks open the season at Illinois on Nov. 11. They’ll go to Xavier, which was ranked as high as fifth last year, on Nov. 30 and North Carolina State on Dec. 4.

South Carolina faces North Carolina in the Carolinas Challenge at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Dec. 18. The team’s last nonconference road game before SEC play starts is Dec. 28 against Drexel in Philadelphia.