Jan. 3, 2006

Box Score | Quotes | Notes

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Tarence Kinsey scored 17 of his 24 points in the first half as South Carolina took a large lead at halftime en route to an 81-46 victory over South Carolina State on Tuesday night.

Kinsey, who had hit just five of 17 shots and one of six from 3-point range in the last two games, connected on nine of 15 shots, including four of six from beyond the arc in leading the Gamecocks to their 14th win in as many games against the Bulldogs.

Kinsey, a 6-foot-6, 185-pound senior from Tampa, Fla., who had scored just 14 points in his last two games, tied his career high of 24 points, which he scored against Toledo on Nov. 20.

South Carolina (9-4) forced four straight turnovers to spark a 13-0 run capped by Kinsey’s three-point play that propelled the Gamecocks to a 16-4 lead with 13:26 left in the first half. The Bulldogs (3-8) pulled within seven but South Carolina outscored South Carolina State 9-4 in the final three minutes to grab a 38-24 halftime lead.

South Carolina State never closer in the second half as the Gamecocks stretched their lead to 56-30 with 9:54 left on back-to-back 3-pointers by reserve Bryce Sheldon and Kinsey, who tied his career high with the trey before a crowd of 5,014 at the Colonial Center.

Sheldon, a junior college transfer in his first year at South Carolina, scored a career-high 13 points, including three 3-pointers to tie his career best. Junior Brandon Wallace tied his career high with 13 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the year and fourth of his career.

South Carolina State was led by Thurman Zimmerman with 14 points.