South Carolina Concludes Regular Season at No. 4/4 Tennessee Saturday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (12-18, 2-15 SEC) concludes the regular season with a trip to Rocky Top on Saturday to face No. 4/4 Tennessee (24-6, 11-6 SEC). Tip is set for 2 p.m. (ET) at Thompson Boling Arena with Dave Neal (pxp) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) on the call for the SEC Network broadcast.

Preseason All-SEC forward Collin Murray-Boyles has scored 20 or more points in four-straight games helping lead the Gamecocks to a pair of vicotries. He had a career-high 35 points in the team’s 72-53 win over Arkansas last Saturday on March 1. The last Gamecock to score 20 or more points in four consecutive games was All-SEC guard AJ Lawson during SEC play in 2021.

During the four-game stretch, Murray-Boyles is averaging 27.0 points per game while shooting 66.7% (36-of-54) from the floor and 81.4% (35-of-43) at the free throw line. The Columbia, S.C. native is the only player in Power Five leagues (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC) this season averaging at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting above 50% from the floor.

The Gamecocks are seeking the team’s first true road win in SEC play and second road win of the season (defeated Boston College 73-51 in Chestnut Hill back on Dec. 3 in the SEC/ACC Challenge).

The Vols have won 7-of-9 to finish SEC play, their only two losses in the stretch on the road at No. 15/18 Kentucky on Feb. 11 and at Ole Miss earlier this week on Wednesday night. They are 15-1 on their home floor this season, their only loss to No. 12/12 Kentucky, 78-73, back on Jan. 28.

North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game, which ranks No. 5 in the SEC. They are led by four-year letterwinner a Zakai Zeigler, one of the best point guards in the nation. The two-time All-SEC pick and reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year is fourth in the nation in assists per game (7.4) this season. He’s played in 130 career games (75 starts) and has 688 career assists (11^th on the NCAA Division I active career leaders list) to just 293 turnovers. His 2.35 career assists-to-turnover ratio is ninth on the NCAA Division I active career leaders list.

The Gamecocks upset the No. 5/5 Vols last season, 63-59, on Jan. 30, 2024 thanks to 18 points from All-SEC guard Ta’Lon Cooper and 16 from B.J. Mack. Myles Stute had 13 points off the bench for Carolina. It was the program’s fourth top-five road win all-time and first since beating No. 3 Kentucky at Rupp Arena in 1997.

GAME INFORMATION

TIME: 2 p.m. (ET)

VENUE: Thompson Boling Arena at Food City Center

TV: SEC Network

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Dave Neal

ANALYST: Jon Sundvold

RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network  

IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game

  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott

  ANALYST: Casey Manning

SIRIUSXM: 385 | SXM APP: 375

WATCH: espn.com/watch/

LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast

SERIES: Vols lead, 53-29

IN KNOXVILLE: Vols lead, 31-10

SERIES TREND: Vols have won 11 of the last 13 matchups dating back to 2017-18 season.

LAST MEETING: 66-59 Vol win on March 6, 2024 at Colonial Life Arena with both teams ranked & SEC title on the line.

UP NEXT

Carolina will head to Nashville next week for the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks are locked into the No. 16 seed and will play at 1 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, vs. either Arkansas, Miss. State or Vanderbilt. Dan Shulman (pxp), Jay Bilas (analyst) & Jess Sims (reporter) will be on the call for the SEC Network broadcast.

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