Jan. 8, 2005

Box Score | Quotes | Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Brandon Wallace scored five points, had two blocks and a pair of steals to help spark a 34-6 first-half run, and South Carolina beat Georgia 74-54 on Saturday night.

Wallace, who didn’t start for the first time this season after having five turnovers and just four field goals in his last two games, was one of eight Gamecocks to score in the run that erased a 13-3 deficit five minutes into the game.

Carlos Powell, who scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds, had eight points in the run. Josh Gonner scored the last seven, sandwiching a jumper and a reverse layup around a 3-pointer to give South Carolina (9-4, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) a 37-19 lead with 4:19 left.

The Gamecocks hit 14-of-16 field goals in the run after hitting just one of their first 10 shots. The Bulldogs (6-6, 0-2) were 3-of-19 and had six turnovers.

Georgia was led by Stukes, who made 5-of-18 shots for 15 points before fouling out with 3:57 left.

South Carolina capped the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers by Powell and Tre Kelley to take a 44-24 halftime lead.

Georgia shot just 32.1 percent in the first half, while the Gamecocks shot 56.7 percent.

The game included four technical fouls. South Carolina’s Renaldo Balkman and Georgia’s Levi Stukes were each called for technicals after a scuffle.