Meechie Johnson scored 33 points and South Carolina defeated Southern Miss 83-79 in overtime Sunday night in Columbia, S.C.Eli Ellis added 20 points and Mike Sharavjamts scored 17 for the Gamecocks (2-0), who squandered a 16-point first-half lead before rallying behind Johnson to reach overtime.Isaac Taveras scored 25, Tylik Weeks had 20 and Israel Hart scored 17 for the Golden Eagles (1-2).Weeks converted a three-point play to start the scoring in overtime, but South Carolina scored the next five points to take a 75-73 lead.Taveras’ layup tied the score, but Johnson made a free throw, assisted on a 3-pointer by Myles Stute and added two free throws that gave the Gamecocks an 81-75 lead with 21 seconds left.Southern Miss got within two in the final seconds, but had to foul and Ellis made two free throws.The Golden Eagles scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 41-38 lead. Sharavjamts’ 3-pointer ended a field-goal drought of 8 1/2 minutes dating to the first half for South Carolina, but Taveras’ three-point play helped Southern Miss build a 54-45 lead.