South Carolina shakes off poor start to beat Presbyterian

Field Level Media|published: Mon 30th December, 21:27 2024

NCAA Basketball: Presbyterian at South Carolina

Dec 30, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) attempts to get by Presbyterian Blue Hose forward Jaylen Peterson (14) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Collin Murray-Boyles collected 22 points and nine rebounds to help sluggish South Carolina rally to a 69-59 victory over Presbyterian on Monday in Columbia, S.C.

Nick Pringle contributed 14 points and five rebounds and Jamarii Thomas scored all 10 of his points in the second half as the Gamecocks (10-3) won their seventh straight.

South Carolina trailed by 10 points in both halves before staging their comeback. An 11-0 run in the final eight minutes, fueled by the Gamecocks' defense, was decisive.

Against a smaller Presbyterian team, which didn't start a player taller than 6-foot-7, South Carolina ruled the glass by a 33-23 margin. The Gamecocks also had a 34-20 edge in points in the paint.

Kory Mincy tallied 27 points to lead Presbyterian (7-8) of the Big South Conference. Kobe Stewart added 13 points and six rebounds.

A basket by Stewart with 7:33 left gave Presbyterian a 50-48 lead but South Carolina responded with an 11-point run, which included five points from Pringle.

After taking their final lead, the Blue Hose failed to score a field goal over the next 4:55.

Morris Ugusuk drained a 3-pointer that sealed Presbyterian's fate, giving South Carolina a 63-54 lead with 2:19 left.

Presbyterian gained the lead midway through the first half with a 13-3 run. Mincy made two baskets with crafty hesitation moves and Stewart added two buckets, including a 3-pointer that capped the spree and gave the Blue Hose a 25-16 lead.

In the final two minutes of the half, Presbyterian's Kaleb Scott and Murray-Boyles traded slam dunks, making it 32-24 at the break.

South Carolina's offense was so out of sorts in the period that Pringle was the only Gamecocks player who scored during a span of more than 11 minutes.

After trailing by 10 points early in the second half, South Carolina went on a 9-1 run that was bookended by slam dunks from Murray-Boyles and Thomas as the Gamecocks reduced their deficit to 37-35.

South Carolina improved to 34-8 in the series, which was halted after a game in 1947 and resumed in 2008 after Presbyterian gained provisional status to join Division I.

--Field Level Media

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