Nov. 19, 2001

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — –
Jamel Bradley scored 17 points, including six free throws in the final 46 seconds, and South Carolina held on for a 74-61 victory over Chaminade on Monday in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

The game was the first at South Carolina for coach Dave Odom, who spent the last 12 seasons at Wake Forest before replacing Eddie Fogler.

The win moved the Gamecocks into Tuesday’s semifinals against the winner of the game between top-ranked Duke and Seton Hall.

Chaminade, the Division II host of the eight-team tournament, lost for the 25th straight time in the Maui Invitational and its record in the event dropped to 3-47. The Silverswords’ last win in the tournament was over Stanford in double overtime in the seventh-place game in 1992.

A 3-pointer by Aaron Lucas with 5:20 to play gave South Carolina a 65-45 lead but that was the Gamecocks’ last field goal.

Leon Ballard, who led Chaminade with 20 points, hit a 3-pointer with 1:32 left to cap a 12-0 run and make it 65-57. The Silverswords missed seven free throws, including the front end of three 1-and-1s over the final nine minutes.

Two free throws by John Kirk with 1:09 left had Chaminade within 66-59 and after South Carolina’s Rolando Howell missed the front end of a 1-and-1 the Silverswords had a chance to get within five, but Rahshaw McAfee missed two free throws with 50 seconds left.

Bradley then made his six free throws — his only attempts of the game — and Chris Warren added two more for the Gamecocks.

Lucas, who missed the final two minutes of the game because of leg cramps, had 14 points, while Chuck Eidson added 12 for South Carolina.

Chaminade, which outrebounded South Carolina 41-33, finished 12-for-23 from the line and had 22 turnovers.