South Carolina found itself locked in a tussle against East Carolina in Greenville, NC, Saturday, but the Gamecocks were able to dig deep and make enough plays down the stretch to thwart an upset bid from the Pirates, 68-62.
USC was down three with just a tick over four minutes to play when Meechie Johnson lofted a 3-pointer that knotted the game at 56-56. ECU quickly grabbed the lead back on a pair of foul shots, pressing the Gamecocks back into a corner. But the 2023 version of USC has responded well to adversity and Saturday’s game was no different. Moments later, Johnson darted through the defense for a layup and BJ Mack followed with another 3-pointer.
The Gamecocks (8-1) ratcheted up the defensive pressure down the stretch, forcing three turnovers and hitting four of their final five shots from the field to sew up the victory.
Johnson and Myles Stute each dropped 15 points for the Gamecocks. Mack overcame foul trouble to contribute 13 points and 8 rebounds.
South Carolina will take some time off before returning home to square off with Charleston Southern at 6 p.m., Saturday.