Transfer Kory Mincy will seek to continue his strong production for South Carolina as the Gamecocks welcome Saint Peter’s to Columbia, S.C. on Wednesday.
Mincy, a transfer from George Mason, went on a personal 10-0 run in the second half Sunday to help best Southeast Missouri State 78-68. He scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half.
“We need Kory to play well,” South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said. “He found some good looks from the 3-point line and even got to the basket … and then the energy went up even another echelon.”
South Carolina (2-0) also benefitted from a big game from European import Juan Fernandez, who had 18 points and seven rebounds while blocking four shots. Jakub Necas added 12 points and freshman Marcus Johnson contributed 10 points after missing the first game due to a minor injury.
“I thought he was really, really good for a young guy,” Paris said of Johnson’s debut.
Saint Peter’s (0-3) comes in having lost its last two games by three and two points, respectively. The Peacocks fell 54-52 to NJIT on Sunday, and their 49.7 points per game rank 362nd in Division I.
Against NJIT, Saint Peter’s rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit, but guard Bryce Eaton missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw situation with four seconds remaining, allowing NJIT’s Brandon Stores Jr. to sink a running 3-point bank shot at the buzzer to steal the win.
A returning All-Metro Conference preseason pick, Eaton is the top scorer for the Peacocks at 15.3 points per game. In keeping him for a third season, Saint Peter’s likely outpaced some significant NIL options.
“(Eaton) knows what he means to our team,” coach Bashir Mason told Mid-Major Madness in the preseason. “He knows the opportunity that is in front of them within the conference, and that was an appealing thing to try to capture.”
Forward Xavier Thomas has been the other top scorer so far, with 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Saint Peter’s was picked to finish seventh in the Metro in the preseason coaches’ poll.