In his second college game, South Carolina freshman guard Marcus Johnson took control with 20 points and six assists, leading South Carolina to an easy 77-41 victory over Saint Peter’s in Columbia, S.C.
Saint Peter’s scored the first basket of the game, but never led again, as South Carolina opened up a 10-point lead within five and a half minutes and stretched the edge to 20 points by halftime, with Saint Peter’s never getting any closer and the lead stretching to as many as 40 points in the second half.
The win was South Carolina’s largest margin of victory since a 110-51 win over Allen on December 14, 2021.
Johnson, who missed South Carolina’s opener with a minor injury, dished five first-half assists as South Carolina romped to a 37-17 halftime edge and then scored 14 points in the second half. He shot 11-for-17 from the foul line and added five steals for the tenacious Gamecock defense.
South Carolina (3-0) also benefited from 11 points from Aleksas Bieliauskas who shot 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Davion Hannah added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Eight players scored four or more points for the Gamecocks.
The Gamecocks shot 21-for-45 (46.7%) and 9-for-15 (60%) from 3-point range. South Carolina shot 26-for-34 (76.5%) from the free throw line. The Gamecocks dominated points off turnovers by a 26-5 margin and fast break points by a 20-5 gap.
Saint Peter’s (0-4) entered as one of the lowest-scoring teams in college basketball and did little to remedy the situation. The Peacocks were led by 15 points from Xavier Thomas, who shot 5-for-15. Bryce Eaton added 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
Saint Peter’s shot just 14-for-53 (26.4%) for the game, including 3-for-17 (17.6%) from 3-point range. The Peacocks amassed just four assists in the game against 15 turnovers.
South Carolina will next play on Saturday, when the Gamecocks host Gardner-Webb. Saint Peter’s returns to action on Tuesday at UMass Lowell.