After dropping consecutive games for the first time this season, South Carolina wasted little time in gaining the upper hand at Ole Miss, Saturday, taking a 14-point lead in the first half and coasting to a 72-59 victory.
B.J. Mack led all scorers with 17 points, but it was the Gamecocks’ defense that proved to be the big star. USC held the Rebels to 27% shooting in the first half and 33% for the game. South Carolina limited Ole Miss to three 3-pointers and controlled the interior, as well, winning the rebounding battle (44-34) and outscoring the Rebels in the paint 34-22.
USC also racked up 17 assists, a telling statistic for a club that shares the ball freely when they are at their best. Zachary Davis (14 points), Collin Murray-Boyles (12 points) and Jacobi Wright (10 points) joined Mack in double figures while Ta’Lon Cooper stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, seven rebounds and six assists. Davis also put his athleticism to good use, just missing a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds. Meechie Johnson’s shooting was off the mark (1 of 11), but the veteran guard contributed in other ways by picking up two steals and gathering in seven rebounds. The Gamecocks were also effective from the perimeter, knocking down 8 of 17 from beyond the arc.
South Carolina (22-5, 10-4) led for all but two minutes of the game and held a double-digit advantage for almost the entire second half.
The Gamecocks will remain on the road and next pay a visit to Texas A&M. Tipoff from College Station, Tex., is set for 8:30 p.m., Wednesday.
Final Stats
Lamont Paris postgame press conference
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