ORANGEBURG, S.C. (Interstat) — South Carolina State used a decisive first-half surge and a deep, efficient offensive attack to rout visiting Trinity (FL) 112-42 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Monday at SHM Memorial Center.

South Carolina State improved to 1-0 with the non-divisional victory. The Bulldogs controlled the game after an early exchange, turning a brief deficit into a runaway before halftime and never allowing Trinity to mount a comeback. Trinity’s best moment came in the opening minutes, when M’Lani Vitela made a layup and Destiny Sanders connected on a 3-point jump shot to help the visitors take an early 9-8 lead. South Carolina State answered with a sustained run that carried into the second quarter and changed the game for good. The Bulldogs attacked the paint repeatedly, converted second-chance opportunities and forced Trinity into a long scoring drought that stretched across the end of the first quarter and the start of the second.

The decisive stretch began late in the first quarter after Trinity held its only lead. South Carolina State closed the opening period with a burst powered by Ja’Dore Hayes inside and Monajah Ford from the perimeter, then opened the second quarter with Chase Thomas scoring on a tip-in, a layup and a jump shot. Adena Webster added free throws and a layup during the surge, and Hayes continued to finish around the basket as the Bulldogs pulled away. Alexica Murphy and Kimora Smith also contributed free throws during the run, while Kleighonna Grable and Mya Giles added baskets near the end of the first quarter. South Carolina State led 30-10 after the first quarter and 64-22 at halftime, putting the game well out of reach. Trinity’s next points came on Laila Harvey’s 3-point jump shot with 5:11 left in the second quarter.

South Carolina State kept the pressure on in the third quarter. Trinity Butler hit a 3-point jump shot early in the period, and Webster followed with a layup and later a 3-pointer of her own. Hayes remained productive near the rim, while Mya Giles and Paula Carvalho added baskets as the Bulldogs stretched the margin. Webster also made free throws and a tip-in during the quarter, and Murphy converted twice inside. Trinity received second-half scoring from Travesha Giddens and Dibora Leaf, and Vitela added a jump shot late in the third, but South Carolina State’s depth and defensive pressure prevented any sustained rally. Giddens scored on a layup and a jump shot in the third and added a tip-in at the buzzer.

The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern, with South Carolina State maintaining its advantage while Trinity found occasional answers. Leaf made a layup and a jump shot for Trinity in the fourth, and Giddens added a 3-pointer and a free throw. South Carolina State responded with a layup from Hayes, a jump shot from Thomas, a tip-in from Smith, a layup from Grable, a layup and a tip-in from Webster, a layup from Carvalho, a 3-pointer from Ford and free throws and a jump shot from Giles. Berdebes made two free throws for Trinity in the closing minutes, but the Bulldogs closed the game with Grable’s layup and Ford’s 3-pointer.

The Bulldogs finished with a balanced effort and placed several players in double figures. Webster, a guard, led South Carolina State with 24 minutes, 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, recording a double-double and serving as the top star. Hayes, a center, followed with 22 minutes, 19 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block. Thomas, a guard, added 28 minutes, 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Butler contributed 19 minutes, seven points, six rebounds, six assists and one block.

Ford, a 5-foot-8 guard from Winter Haven, Fla., had 23 minutes, nine points, three rebounds and three assists. Carvalho added 14 minutes, eight points, five rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Murphy, a 5-foot-10 forward, recorded 20 minutes, 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block. Smith, a 5-foot-10 forward, finished with 11 minutes, five points, seven rebounds and three assists. Grable, a center, posted 12 minutes, six points, four rebounds and one assist, while Giles, a 5-foot-6 guard, had 15 minutes, nine points, one rebound, two assists and one block.

Trinity had several solid individual moments despite the final margin. Vitela scored on a pair of early layups and later made a 3-point jump shot, while Sanders made a 3-pointer and two free throws. Leaf scored on a layup in the first quarter and added a layup and a jump shot in the fourth. Giddens provided a third-quarter lift with a layup and a jump shot before adding a tip-in at the end of the period and a 3-pointer in the fourth. Jaedin Houston added a layup in the third quarter, and Alexandra Perez made two free throws. Taylor Crawford and Maia Berdebes also made late free throws, but those points came after South Carolina State had already secured control.

South Carolina State’s defense and rebounding advantage helped turn the game into a one-sided contest. The Bulldogs scored consistently in transition and in the paint, and their bench contributed across the rotation. Trinity was unable to string together enough stops to slow the South Carolina State run after the first few minutes. The Bulldogs’ ability to score at the rim through Hayes and Webster, combined with Thomas’s activity on the wing, allowed South Carolina State to build and protect a large cushion. Ford and Butler also helped steady the offense with ball movement, and the Bulldogs finished with a strong closing quarter to complete the rout.

South Carolina State is scheduled to return to action against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 5, followed by a home game against South Carolina Upstate on Nov. 10. The Bulldogs then visit High Point on Nov. 14 and Winthrop on Nov. 17 before hosting Charleston Southern on Nov. 22. They will play at South Alabama on Nov. 29 and at Portland on Dec. 2, then host UNC Asheville on Dec. 5. South Carolina State will visit Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 11 and Mississippi on Dec. 12.