Jan. 24, 2018

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Men’s Basketball at No. 20/22 Florida

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Wesley Myers scored a season-high 22 points, Chris Silva added a double-double and South Carolina upset No. 20 Florida 77-72 on Wednesday night.

Silva finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who won the Elite Eight rematch from last year’s NCAA Tournament.

South Carolina knocked off the Gators in that one thanks to 42 points in the paint. Coach Frank Martin’s team won this one from the 3-point line.

The Gamecocks (13-7, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) hit 11 of 21 shots from beyond the arc, matching their most 3s all season. Myers was 5 of 7 from 3-point range, taking advantage of the league’s worst team at defending the 3.

The Gators (14-6, 6-2) led by 11 in the first half and were up 48-39 early in the second. But they had no answer for Myers outside and Silva down low.

Frank Booker sealed the victory by hitting four free throws in the final 40 seconds.

Florida won eight of its previous nine games to return to the rankings for the first time in more than a month.

Egor Koulechov and Jalen Hudson led Florida with 16 points apiece. KeVaughn Allen added 15 for the Gators, who shot 6 of 23 from 3-point range.

Florida had a great chance to tie the game with two minutes to play, but teammates turned the ball over while fighting for a rebound. Silva sank a jumper a few seconds later to make it 73-68.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The Gamecocks picked up an NCAA Tournament-boosting victory on the road against a ranked team. It was the team’s first road victory against a ranked team since upsetting then-No. 8 Texas A&M on Feb. 6, 2016. This one came eight days after upsetting Kentucky in Columbia, but might do more for Martin’s team come tourney time.

Florida: Gators center John Egbunu took part in pregame warmups for the first time this season, a positive step in his return from reconstructive knee surgery. Egbunu missed the final 10 games last year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He began non-contact practice last week and could be a huge help in the post for the Gators when he returns.

KEY STAT

The Gamecocks matched a season-high with 11 3s, shooting a season-best 52.4 percent from behind the arc Wednesday night in Gainesville. Florida came into the game the top 3-point shooting team in the SEC, but it was held to just 26.1 shooting (6-for-23) from 3.

NOTABLE

• South Carolina picks up its first ranked road win since in 81-78 victory at No. 8/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 6, 2016.
• Under head coach Frank Martin the past two seasons, the Gamecocks are 8-4 vs. top-25 teams dating back to a 61-46 win vs. No. 25/24 Michigan at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 23, 2016.
• South Carolina was 18-for-22 (81.8 percent) at the free throw line against the Gators, marking the fifth-highest free throw percentage in six seasons under Martin.
• Graduate transfer guard Wesley Myers scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He knocked down a career-high five 3s. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native, played a season-high 34 minutes and led the team in assists (4) and steals (4).
• Junior big man Chris Silva scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the 2017-18 season. He bounced back from a tough night at the foul line against Tennessee, going 8-for-9 in tonight’s game at the charity stripe. Silva has now made eight or more free throws 10 times this season.

UP NEXT

South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena on Saturday to host No. 14/14 Texas Tech in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Tip time is set for Noon ET on ESPN2 vs. the Red Raiders. The meeting will be the fourth all-time between the two schools and the first since the 1976-77 season. Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call for ESPN2.