South Carolina Gamecocks @ East Carolina Pirates
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 33 | 68 | |
| 28 | 34 | 62 |
South Carolina fends off feisty East Carolina in first visit to ECU since 1988
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- — Meechie Johnson and Myles Stute scored 15 points apiece and South Carolina held on to beat East Carolina 68-62 on Saturday.
B.J. Mack added 13 points for the Gamecocks (8-1) which shot 43.8% (21 for 48 overall). Johnson, Stute and Mack combined to make 14 of the team's 21-made baskets.
RJ Felton scored 15 points, Ezra Ausar and Bobby Pettiford Jr. scored 14 points apiece and Brandon Johnson 10 for East Carolina (6-4).
Mack's 3-pointer with 1:22 left gave South Carolina a 62-60 lead and it never trailed again. Pettiford tied it after an ECU timeout before Mack made 1 of 2 foul shots with 37 seconds left for a 63-62 advantage. On its next possession, Ausar lost control of the ball underneath the basket and it went out of bounds. Ta'Lon Cooper made 1 of 2 fouls shots on South Carolina's next possession for a two-point lead. ECU's Pettiford turned it over on the Pirates next possession and Davis sank two foul shots with four seconds left for the final margin.
East Carolina rallied from a 35-28 halftime deficit and outscored the Gamecocks 12-3 and took its first lead at 40-38 on Ausar's soft layin in the lane.
The Gamecocks turned an 11-10 lead into a 23-12 margin with 3-pointers coming from Davis, two from Cooper and Morris Ugusuk with each make off an assist as South Carolina worked the ball around the perimeter to counter the Pirates' 2/3 zone.
East Carolina responded with a 12-3 run pushing the pace to get within 26-24 with 3:27 before halftime, but South Carolina outscored the Pirates 9-4 and went to intermission up 35-28.
Saturday marked the first time the Pirates had welcomed a Southeastern Conference opponent to Minges Coliseum since 2002 when ECU beat Ole Miss, 65-58.
The Gamecocks hadn't visited Minges Coliseum since Jan. 13, 1988, when South Carolina defeated ECU 78-51. The Pirates now are 2/3 in home games against South Carolina.
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Game Information
Greenville, NC
Referee:Garrick Shannon
Referee:Lucas Santos
Referee:Michael Swoboda
2025-26 Standings
| Southeastern Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 14-2 | - | 23-6 |
| Alabama | 12-4 | 2 | 22-7 |
| Arkansas | 11-5 | 3 | 21-8 |
| Missouri | 10-6 | 4 | 20-9 |
| Tennessee | 10-6 | 4 | 20-9 |
| Kentucky | 10-6 | 4 | 19-10 |
| Vanderbilt | 9-7 | 5 | 22-7 |
| Texas A&M | 9-7 | 5 | 19-10 |
| Texas | 9-7 | 5 | 18-11 |
| Georgia | 8-8 | 6 | 20-9 |
| Auburn | 6-10 | 8 | 15-14 |
| Oklahoma | 5-11 | 9 | 15-14 |
| Mississippi State | 5-11 | 9 | 13-16 |
| Ole Miss | 4-12 | 10 | 12-17 |
| LSU | 3-13 | 11 | 15-14 |
| South Carolina | 3-13 | 11 | 12-17 |
| American Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Florida | 12-3 | - | 20-8 |
| Tulsa | 11-5 | 1.5 | 23-6 |
| Wichita State | 11-5 | 1.5 | 19-10 |
| UAB | 9-6 | 3 | 18-10 |
| Charlotte | 9-6 | 3 | 15-13 |
| Tulane | 8-7 | 4 | 17-11 |
| Florida Atlantic | 8-8 | 4.5 | 16-13 |
| Temple | 7-8 | 5 | 15-13 |
| Memphis | 7-8 | 5 | 12-16 |
| North Texas | 7-9 | 5.5 | 16-13 |
| Rice | 5-10 | 7 | 11-17 |
| East Carolina | 5-10 | 7 | 10-18 |
| UTSA | 1-15 | 11.5 | 5-23 |
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