COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Meechie Johnson scored 15 points as South Carolina pulled away after halftime and cruised past UAlbany 96-67 on Tuesday night.
The Gamecocks shot 60% from the field and placed five players in double figures while improving to 9-4. South Carolina led 48-33 at the break and steadily widened the gap in the second half, turning defensive pressure into easy scoring opportunities.
UAlbany briefly showed momentum early after halftime when Amir Lindsey and Zacharie Matulu connected on 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 51-39. South Carolina answered with a decisive stretch that put the game out of reach, though. Kobe Knox hit a 3-pointer, and the Gamecocks followed with a 12-2 run that extended the lead to 63-41 with 13:42 remaining.
Hayden Assemian finished with 13 points off the bench, while Mike Sharavjamts added 10 points and seven assists.
South Carolina went 14 of 30 from beyond the arc and made 16 of 17 free throws. The Gamecocks forced 15 turnovers and consistently capitalized in transition during the second half.
Lindsey led UAlbany (4-11) with 18 points but committed four turnovers. Okechukwu Okeke scored 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. Nas Muhammad added 10 points. The Great Danes shot 44% overall but struggled to slow South Carolina, with the margin growing to as many as 33 points late.
South Carolina opens SEC play at home against No. 11 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Albany travels to UMass Lowell to begin American East Conference play
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
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