Jan. 27, 2010

Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

• Records: South Carolina improves to 12-8 overall, 3-3 in SEC play. Kentucky falls to 19-1 overall, 4-1 in the SEC. The Gamecocks are 9-2 in games played at Colonial Life Arena this season. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 41-10, but South Carolina has won the last three.
• Head Coach Darrin Horn: Improves to 144-66 in his seventh year as a collegiate head coach, 33-18 in his second year at South Carolina. He is now 5-8 all-time against ranked opponents, 3-4 as the Gamecocks’ head coach. He is 1-1 against teams ranked No. 1 in the country.
• Packing the House: Tonight’s attendance of 18,000 marked the fourth sellout for men’s basketball in Colonial Life Arena history. Two of the previous three sellouts came during the 2008-09 season against Georgia and Tennessee.
• Taking Down No. 1: For the first time in school history, South Carolina defeated a top-ranked opponent. The Gamecocks had lost their seven previous meetings against No. 1 teams. It’s the second time for South Carolina to play Kentucky while the Wildcats were ranked at the top of the polls (Dec. 12, 1977).
• Against Ranked Opponents: Tonight was South Carolina’s third game this season against a top-25 team and the first against a top-10 opponent. The Gamecocks are 1-2 in those contests (losses to #18 Clemson and #22 Mississippi).
• Trends: South Carolina shot 34.4% from the floor tonight, their third-lowest of the season and the lowest percentage from the floor in a contest the Gamecocks won. However, their 20 made free throws marked the fifth-highest total of the year. Carolina’s 68 points marked their second-lowest winning total of the season. The Gamecocks’ 44 rebounds were their most so far in SEC play and only the second time in six conference games that South Carolina has outrebounded its opponent. South Carolina had 22 second-chance points to Kentucky’s nine; the Gamecocks are 7-1 this season when taking advantage of those second opportunities.
• Who Else But Downey: Senior Devan Downey notched his sixth straight game with 20 points or more as he finished the night with 30 points, including a 10-of-11 performance from the free-throw line. In SEC play, Downey is averaging 31.3 points and has topped the 30-point plateau in four out of six games.
• Downey Likes the `Cats: Devan Downey has had some of his best nights against Kentucky. In five career games against UK, Downey has averaged 21.4 points, including 30 tonight. He has topped 20 points in four of five meetings against the Wildcats.
• Block Party: Against Kentucky, Sam Muldrow has been a blocking machine. In his last two games against the Wildcats, Muldrow has amassed 12 blocked shots – seven in last year’s win in Columbia and five tonight. Muldrow has 20 blocks in six SEC games this season, an average of 3.3 per contest.
• Double-Double Still Elusive: Sam Muldrow came within one point of grabbing that elusive first career double-double tonight. He finished the night with nine points and 11 rebounds – his third career game with double-digit boards. He had scored in double figures 13 times and had three double-digit rebound games, just never at the same time.
• Quick Hits –

• Junior Johndre Jefferson equaled a career high with eight rebounds.
• Junior Austin Steed got his first start since the Boston College game on Dec. 30 and contributed four points and six rebounds.
• South Carolina had only two turnovers in the second half after committing nine in the first half.
• The Gamecocks held Kentucky to its lowest offensive output of the season (62 points).