Dec. 06, 2017

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Men’s Basketball vs. Wyoming

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Chris Silva scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Felipe Haase added 17 with nine boards, and South Carolina used a big second-half run to beat Wyoming 80-64 on Wednesday night.

Frank Booker scored 16 points with three 3-pointers, six rebounds and three steals. Freshman Justin Minaya added 11 points for the Gamecocks (7-2), who outrebounded the Cowboys 43-34 and scored 24 points off of 18 Wyoming turnovers.

Haase’s 3 put South Carolina up for good, 25-22, and the Gamecocks finished the first half on a 13-3 run to lead 35-25 at halftime.

Wyoming closed to 37-33 on Justin James’ free throw early in the second half, but the Gamecocks countered with a 21-6 run to regain control and led by double digits the rest of the way. Minaya hit consecutive threes in the run and Booker scored seven points.

James scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and Hayden Dalton added 12 points and six rebounds for Wyoming (6-3). Louis Adams scored 12 and Alexander Aka Gorski had 10.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The win was important for USC as Frank Martin felt his team had regressed in the last 10 days. The Gamecocks backcourt continued struggle, but with Booker and Minaya hitting outside shots, it played well enough to complement a solid performance by the frontcourt.

Wyoming: The Cowboys placed four players in double figures, but didn’t have an answer for the USC frontcourt. They return home for a five-game run.

KEY STAT

Carolina was 16-for-29 (55 percent) in the second half and 5-for-9 from deep the final 20 minutes of the game.

NOTABLE

• The Gamecocks improve to 7-0 in the 2017-18 season when scoring 70-plus points. In all seven of the team’s wins, four players have scored in double figures.
• Carolina ended the first half on a 15-5 run to take a double-digit lead going the locker room. The Gamecocks led by 10 or more the final 15 minutes of the game.
• Junior Chris Silva led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds. It marks his third double-double this season and the eighth of his career.
• Freshman Felipe Haase scored a career-high 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench. The big man knocked down a season-high three shots from behind the arc.
• Frank Booker poured in a season-high 16 points thanks to a trio of 3-pointers. The graduate transfer has made three or more 3s in six of the team’s first nine games.
• Freshman Justin Minaya had 11 points, marking his fifth double-figure outing in the last six games.
• Sophomore Evan Hinson, who is also a tight end on the Carolina football team, made his season debut in the second half Wednesday night. He has dressed the last two contest for the Gamecocks.

UP NEXT

South Carolina is set to host Coastal Carolina on Saturday for “Star Wars” day at Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is set for Noon vs. the Chanticleers. Coastal is currently 4-4 on the year, and will host Hampton on Wednesday. Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Brooke Weisbrod (analyst) will have the call on the SEC Network.