Dec 30, 2003

Box Score?|? Quotes?|? Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Michael Boynton had 14 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to lead South Carolina to a 59-48 victory over Yale on Tuesday.

South Carolina (12-1) scored the first 14 points of the second half behind Boynton to help the Gamecocks run out to a 39-20 lead with 13:24 left.

Yale (4-6) missed seven shots and had four turnovers before Alex Gamboa ended the Bulldogs’ second-half drought with a jumper with 13:01 left.

But Yale put together a 21-7 run to pull within 46-41 on Dominick Martin’s hook in the lane with 6:05 remaining. That, however, was as close as Yale got as the Gamecocks outscored the Bulldogs 13-7 from there to hold on for the victory despite behind outshot 35.1 percent to 33.3 percent and outrebounded 41-36.

South Carolina led by as many as 10 in a first half in which neither team shot well. The Gamecocks hit 34.6 percent – including just 3 of 12 from 3-point range – while Yale shot just 29.6 percent.

With Kerbrell Brown and Boynton each hitting a 3-pointer, South Carolina scored seven straight points to go up 16-6 with 9:00 left. But Yale (4-6) countered with a 7-0 run of its own to pull within 18-16 on two 3-pointers by Alex Gamboa, who led the Bulldogs with 15 points.

The Gamecocks led 25-20 at the half and then came out quickly in the second half to grab a lead they never lost.

The game marked the return of Rolando Howell, who missed the first 12 games because of a suspension and fractured right foot. Howell played four minutes – all in the first half – and missed his only shot.