Dec 5, 2002

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WASHINGTON (AP)– Mike Sweetney scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Georgetown held South Carolina without a field goal for nearly 12 minutes in a 67-59 win over the Gamecocks Thursday.

Georgetown (5-0), which has never lost to South Carolina (4-1), trailed 45-42 with 12:31 remaining after a basket by Rolando Howell. But for the second time in the game, Sweetney would score six points in an 11-0 run to give Georgetown a 53-45 lead it would not relinquish.

The Gamecocks, which made five straight free throws to get within three, would not make another field goal until a Carlos Powell 3-pointer with 51 seconds to play made the score 60-53.

Powell led South Carolina with 18 points.

South Carolina took its first lead, 33-31, when Howell made two free throws with 18:32 to play. The Gamecocks would hold the lead three more times despite leading scorer Chuck Eidson being held to just two points and committing eight turnovers.

Sweetney scored 14 in the first half to help Georgetown build an 11-point first half lead. But the Hoyas could not have done it without some help from South Carolina.

Coming out of the first media timeout, South Carolina was assessed a technical foul for resuming with play with six players on the floor. The Gamecocks began to walk the ball up the floor, but it did not take long for the officials to notice the extra player — 6-10 Lithuanian center Marius Petravicius.

Tony Bethel made two free throws of what would be part of an 11-0 run that would put Georgetown ahead 16-5 with 13:30 to play before halftime.

South Carolina, despite 12 first half turnovers, pulled to 29-28 with 1:35 to play in the first half when a Marcus Morrison made a baseline-jumper at the same time Petravicius was fouled under the basket.

Petravicius made both free throws to pull South Carolina within one. The Gamecocks tied the game when Morrison made one-of-two at the line the next trip up the floor.