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B.J. Mack scores 18 points, leads South Carolina past Arkansas, 77-64
Men's Basketball  . 

B.J. Mack scores 18 points, leads South Carolina past Arkansas, 77-64

South Carolina Athletics

Gamecocks shoot over 50.0 percent from the floor for first time in league action, improve to 3-2 in SEC with road win

Final Box (PDF) Season Stats (PDF) Postgame Media (VIDEO)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) –  B.J. Mack had 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists to lead South Carolina to a 77-64 victory over Arkansas on Saturday.

Zachary Davis had 12 points, Ta’lon Cooper 11, and Collin Murray-Boyles 11 for the Gamecocks (15-3, 3-2 SEC), who led all the way.

Tramon Mark led Arkansas (10-8, 1-4) with 18 points.

After a dunk by Davis gave South Carolina a 49-36 lead six minutes into the second half, Mark hit back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Razorbacks within 49-42. Cooper then hit a 3-pointer to start a 13-1 run by the Gamecocks and they led by double digits for the remainder.

Mack made three 3-pointers and Collin Murray-Boyles added a dunk in a stretch where South Carolina turned a four-point lead into a 29-19 advantage near the six-minute mark of the first half. Mack scored 12 points in the first half and the Gamecocks led 39-27 at the break.

South Carolina finished the game at 53% from the field with 9 of 18 3-pointers and 12 of 17 free throws.

The Razorbacks shot 37% and made only 5 of 18 3-pointers. They were 13 for 16 from the line and had only five turnovers.

The Razorbacks face two ranked opponents in the upcoming week. They will play at No. 22 Mississippi on Wednesday, then return home to play No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday.

South Carolina has two home games — Kentucky on Tuesday and Missouri on Saturday.

 

KEY STAT

  • After Arkansas cut the deficit to seven with 12:54 to go in the second half, South Carolina utilized a 17-3 run over 4:04 to stretch their lead to 19. The Gamecocks led wire-to-wire and the 13-point win is the second largest margin of victory at Bud Walton Arena by the team in six all-time wins there. The Gamecocks won by 15 back on Mar. 5, 2016, in a 76-61 win over the Razorbacks.

NOTABLES

  • Graduate forward B.J. Mack led all scorers with 18 points and nine rebounds on an efficient 6-of-10 from the floor. Mack has scored in double-figures in three consecutive games and added three assists in 24 minutes for the Garnet & Black.
  • Sophomore guard Zachary Davis made his first start of the season in lieu of the injured Myles Stute. Davis contributed vital minutes scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. It marks Davis’s second game this season in double-figures and the third of his career.
  • Four Gamecocks scored in double-figures: Mack (18), Davis (12), Ta’Lon Cooper (11) and Collin Murray-Boyles (11).
  • Carolina as a team shot 51.9 percent (28-for-54) from the floor, including 50.0 percent (9-for-18) from beyond the arc. The last time the Gamecocks shot 50 percent or better from behind the arc was Dec. 1, 2023, when Carolina hit a school record 18 3’s against George Washington.
  • The Gamecocks are 5-0 this season when shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor as a team. The team shot 50.0 percent or better just once last season. T
  • Junior guard Jacobi Wright and graduate guard Ta’Lon Cooper each had five dimes, leading the Gamecocks in helpers. Wright now has three games this season leading the team in assists and Cooper secured his 13th. Cooper entered today’s contest 8th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and third in the SEC in assists. As a team, Carolina finished with 20 assists on 28 made baskets.
  • The Gamecock defense allowed just 37.1 percent shooting (23-for-62). The team entered today ranked first in the SEC in scoring defense allowing just 64.7 points per game.
  • The Gamecocks dominated the glass with a +12 margin over Arkansas (39-27). Seven players, led by Mack (9) had four or more rebounds in the game.
  • The win is the team’s third victory at Bud Walton Arena in its last six visits dating back to 2016.
  • Today’s victory also snaps a three-game losing streak to the Razorbacks that dates back to a 101-73 loss on March 2, 2021, at CLA during the COVID season.

UP NEXT

Carolina (15-3, 3-2 SEC) returns home with another quick turnaround, welcoming in No. 8/10 Kentucky (13-3, 3-1 SEC). Tom Hart (pxp), Dane Bradshaw (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline) will be on the call. It’ll be the team’s second game this season against a top-25 opponent and first at home.

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