SAN ANTONIO — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley got her 500th career victory when Aliyah Boston and the top-seeded Gamecocks beat Mercer 79-53 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Boston had 20 points and 18 rebounds for South Carolina, which grabbed the lead for good when it closed the first half with a 16-5 run.
Victaria Saxton also scored 20 points in the Hemisfair Region game at the Alamodome.
It's a great milestone," Staley said about reaching 500 wins. "It means you've been in the game a long time and you've had some great players that have allowed you to get to this point."
Staley previously was a head coach at Temple in her hometown of Philadelphia.
The Gamecocks are one of the four one seeds in the tournament.
