S. Carolina tops UK for 1st win at Rupp considering that
LEXINGTON, Ky.– Meechie Johnson hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 26 indicate lead South Carolina over Kentucky 71-68, winning at Rupp Arena for the first time in 14 years and providing coach Lamont Paris his very first SEC victory.The win was just the third for the Gamecocks (8-8, 1-2) in 31 games at Kentucky (10-6, 1-3) and the very first at Rupp Arena considering that January 2009.
Kentucky had its SEC-leading 28-game home win streak snapped in what has been an extremely frustrating start to the season with its worst start in SEC play considering that 1986-87.2 Related
Gregory “GG” Jackson II included 16 points for the Gamecocks, who shot 48% from the flooring, making 11-of-20 3-point attempts, outscoring the Wildcats 21-12 on second-chance points and enduring 15 turnovers.Oscar Tshiebwe scored
19 points and got 12 rebounds, his ninth double this season for Kentucky. CJ Fredrick added 14 points and Antonio Reeves 13, both off the bench. The Wildcats shot 51%however made simply 3 of 10 from the arc and 7 of 14 from the line.Kentucky was missing out on forward Jacob Toppin with an ideal shoulder injury and guard
Cason Wallace left midway through the first half with a lower back concern. Both are double-figure scorers. Toppin’s status is everyday. South Carolina led throughout and was up by 12 with 13 minutes remaining. Kentucky made a number of runs at the Gamecocks and got within a point with 51 seconds to pursue a 10-0 surge with Reeves and Fredrick striking 3-pointers. Johnson then lost an inbounds pass out of bounds with 20.2 left, the 4th turnover throughout the Wildcats’run. However Kentucky missed a set of 3-point efforts to end the game.Both teams were coming off uneven losses to top-10 teams, Kentucky falling to Alabama 78-52 and South Carolina losing to Tennessee 85-42. But only the Gamecocks responded at the start, taking a 21-6 lead in the very first 7 minutes and a 42-32 halftime edge after shooting 57 %with Johnson scoring 16 points.