South Carolina defeats Ole Miss in physical test on the road
South Carolina found its groove again after two straight losses and a week off to get back on track.
The No. 20 Gamecocks defeated Ole Miss 72-59 on Saturday despite early foul troubles.
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How it happened
South Carolina (22-5, 10-4 SEC) struggled to get things moving in the early minutes of the game. Zachary Davis kickstarted the offense and scored six of the team’s first eight points.
The game remained low scoring until the Gamecocks got into foul trouble. Collin Murray-Boyles had three fouls to his name with about 12 minutes to play in the first half. South Carolina had to look to its bench to fill the minutes usually played by Murray-Boyles.
The Gamecocks conceded most of Ole Miss’s points in the paint, another indication of the lack of Murray-Boyles on the court.
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South Carolina led by 14 at the break, led by Davis with nine points. Ole Miss went into the locker room shooting just below 27 percent.
In what turned out to be a low-scoring, physical game, the Rebels lost their leading scorer to an ejection. Ole Miss’s Allen Flanigan led his team with 11 points until he sustained a flagrant two with about 17 minutes to play.
South Carolina couldn’t seem to find the slowed-down pace of play it’s used to. Fortunately, the Gamecocks shot better than the Rebels who never found their touch and held a steady lead throughout the second half.
The Gamecocks finished shooting 44 percent overall to Ole Miss’s 33.
RELATED: South Carolina-Ole Miss Box Score
Two observations
South Carolina missed Myles Stute — In a game that was marked by fouls, South Carolina missed a signature bench boost. Stute was injured in practice this week and did not travel to Ole Miss. He has averaged nine points a game and the Gamecocks could’ve used his play to lengthen the margin.
Share the basketball — The Gamecocks had multiple players in double digits. B.J. Mack finished with 17 points, Davis had a career-high 14, Murray-Boyles had 12 and Jacobi Wright recorded 10 points.
Key stat
44 rebounds — The Gamecocks out-rebounded Ole Miss 44 to 34. This was with Murray-Boyles, who averages 4.8 a game, playing limited minutes due to foul trouble.
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Turning point
Ole Miss went over six minutes in the back end of the first half without scoring. The Rebels’s inability to hit shots let South Carolina take advantage and establish a double-digit lead.
Up next
South Carolina will stay on the road and travel to Texas A&M on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
