Nov. 24, 2003

Box Score

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Kerbrell Brown and Tarence Kinsey each scored 15 points to lead South Carolina past Southwest Missouri State 77-64 in a Guardians Classic semifinal game Monday night.

The Gamecocks (4-0) will play Richmond, a 66-59 winner over San Francisco in the first semifinal, in the championship game Tuesday night.

Along with Brown and Kinsey, South Carolina’s three other starters all finished in double figures. Josh Gonner and Mike Boynton each scored 13 points, and Carlos Powell had 11. Freshman Renaldo Balkman came off the bench to score nine points and grab a team-high eight rebounds.

After going just 2-of-11 from 3-point range in the first half, the Gamecocks went 8-of-11 (73 percent) from beyond the arc in the second half to pull away from the Bears (2-1).

Tommy Johnson scored a career high 25 points for the Bears. Monwell Randle added 15.

Southwest Missouri will play San Francisco on Tuesday in the tournament’s third-place game. The Bears beat the Dons 72-64 last week in Springfield.