Feb. 5, 2005

Box Score

By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Carlos Powell, floored in the first half by an elbow that left him with a swollen eye, scored 10 straight points for South Carolina in a four-minute span as the Gamecocks pulled away in the second half for a 60-53 win over Georgia Saturday.

Powell, who leads the Gamecocks with 15.2 points per game, had only four points in the first half. He rebounded with a strong second half to finish with 16 points to lead South Carolina.

Taking its first Southeastern Conference road victory since Jan. 28, 2004, South Carolina improved to 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the SEC.

Georgia (7-12 overall, 1-8 SEC) suffered its fourth straight loss.

Channing Toney led Georgia with 15 points. Sundiata Gaines added 12 points.

Levi Stukes, Georgia’s leading scorer with 15.7 points per game, started after missing practice Thursday and Friday with a sprained right ankle. Stukes made only 2 of 10 shots from the field and had 10 points. Steve Newman also had 10 points for Georgia.

Rocky Trice added 11 points but was the only South Carolina player to join Powell in double figures.

Georgia, last in the SEC in scoring, field goal percentage and 3-point shooting, has been held to 55 or fewer points in five conference games. But even by Georgia’s standards, this was an offensive struggle.

The Bulldogs shot 30.6 percent from the field and made only 4 of 22 3-point attempts.

Powell left the game with 5:28 left in the first half after he was hit near his left eye.

No foul was called on the play, though officials reviewed the play on a courtside video replay.

Powell returned to start the second half, but with the eye almost swollen shut and still apparently frustrated about the hit that knocked him out of the game.

After scoring early in the second half, Powell was hit with a technical foul, triggering a string of three technicals against South Carolina in a span of 2:10. Trice drew one technical and, when a chair flew onto the floor during a timeout, South Carolina coach Dave Odom also was called for a technical foul.

While Odom argued the call with referee John Clougherty, Toney hit two free throws that gave Georgia a 31-30 lead with 15:46 left to play.

A basket by Newman gave Georgia its last lead at 33-32.

A 10-2 run gave the Gamecocks a 42-34 advantage. Their biggest lead was 11 points at 54-43.

The teams combined for 20 turnovers and 15 field goals in an ugly first half.

Georgia went almost six minutes without scoring and managed only five points in the last nine minutes. The Bulldogs were 2-of-13 on 3-point attempts in the half, which ended with South Carolina leading 23-17.