South Carolina Faces No. 6/6 Kentucky Tuesday at CLA

­­­­COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (15-3, 3-2 SEC) plays host to No. 6/6 Kentucky (14-3, 4-1 SEC) on Tuesday night at Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network with Tom Hart (pxp), Dane Bradshaw (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline reporter) on the call for the high-profile league matchup.

The game has been deemed a blackout and fans are encouraged to participate by wearing black.

The Gamecocks have won two of the last three matchups at CLA dating back to a 76-68 victory on Jan. 16, 2018. Chris Silva had 27 points and eight rebounds as Carolina rallied from 14 points down in the second half.

Kentucky won, 86-76, on Feb. 8, 2022 in their last trip to CLA. The Gamecocks last home win in the series came on Jan. 15, 2020 when Jermaine Couisnard hit a buzzer-beater shot from behind the arc to sink the then No. 10/12 Wildcats, 81-78.

Last season, the Gamecocks upset Kentucky last season as double-digit underdogs on the road, winning 71-68. It was the team’s third ever win at Rupp Arena. Junior guard Meechie Johnson hit six 3s and scored a then career-high 26 points in the game.

With last season’s win, head coach Lamont Paris is seeking to become the second Gamecock coach all-time alongside Darrin Horn to start his career 2-0 against the Wildcats. Horn won his first three games against Kentucky. A victory Tuesday night would also be the highest ranked home win since the Gamecocks defeated the top-ranked Wildcats, 68-62, on Jan. 26, 2010.

It’s another matchup of contrasting styles as Kentucky is one of the top offensive teams in the nation going up against Carolina’s stout defense. The Wildcats average 91.6 points per game which leads the country. They’re seventh nationally in field goal percentage (50.3%) and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.2%). They make 10.3 shots from behind the arc per game, which 13^th nationally entering Tuesday night’s matchup. Carolina leads the SEC (33^rd nationally) in scoring defense, allowing just 64.6 points per game. Virginia Tech, Clemson and Alabama are the only teams to score in the 70s on the Gamecocks, who have yet to allow 80 or more points in a game this season.

VENUE: Colonial Life Arena

BROADCAST: SEC Network

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tom Hart

ANALYST: Dane Bradshaw

REPORTER: Alyssa Lang

RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network  

IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott

ANALYST: Casey Manning

SIRIUSXM: 106 or 190 | SXM APP: 961

WATCH: espn.com/watch

LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast.com

SERIES: Wildcats lead, 54-14

IN COLUMBIA: Wildcats lead, 21-9

SERIES TREND: Gamecocks won two of last three at home dating back to 2018.

LAST MEETING: 71-68 Gamecock win at Rupp Arena on Jan. 10, 2023. Meechie Johnson hit six 3s and scored a then career-high 26 points.

UP NEXT

Carolina remains home for its first two-game homestand of the SEC season, squaring off against Missouri (8-10, 0-5 SEC). Mike Morgan (pxp) and Mark Wise (analyst) will be on the call for the 1 p.m. tip on SEC Network.

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