Gamecocks starter misses first NCAA Tournament game for ‘precautionary reasons’

South Carolina played its first-round NCAA Tournament win over Presbyterian Friday with eight available players.

The Gamecocks, who defeated the Blue Hose 91-39, went without usual starters Bree Hall and Kamilla Cardoso. Hall came onto the court for pregame warmups in a black sweatsuit, while Cardoso stayed behind in the locker room.

Hall was “held out for precautionary reasons,” the team announced shortly before tipoff. Coach Dawn Staley told local media after the game she’s confident will Hall be back for South Carolina’s second-round game versus No. 8 seed North Carolina Sunday.

“Just something that we felt like we had enough to go into this thing and win the game,” Staley said in her postgame press conference. “Then we’ll see how she feels tomorrow. But she was fine.”

Cardoso is serving a one-game suspension after she was ejected from South Carolina’s previous game in the SEC Tournament for fighting.

Hall was seen Thursday at Colonial Life Arena using a recovery device and brace on one of her knees while taking part in USC’s pre-NCAA Tournament media availability.

Hall is averaging 9.7 points per game this season, tied for fourth on the team, and is shooting 40% on 3-pointers. She had played in all 32 games entering the tournament.