South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (11/10/2026) — The South Carolina Gamecocks put on a shooting clinic inside Colonial Life Arena, overwhelming the Saint Peter's Peacocks 77-41 on Tuesday evening behind blistering three-point marksmanship and relentless ball movement before an announced crowd of 11,456.
Result
South Carolina never trailed after the opening two minutes, building a 37-17 halftime cushion and pulling away decisively in the second half. The Gamecocks connected on 12 three-pointers at a 60% clip from beyond the arc — an efficiency mark that left the Peacocks, who shot just 18% from deep, without an answer throughout the night.
How It Happened
Saint Peter's grabbed the early lead when Ken Walker converted a 15-foot step-back jumper at 19:32, but South Carolina responded with three consecutive three-pointers in the first four minutes. Aleksas Bieliauskas opened the barrage with a 26-footer off a Kory Mincy assist, then drained another from the same distance with Marcus Johnson setting him up to make it 6-2. After Xavier Thomas answered with a 29-footer to trim the lead to one, Bieliauskas delivered again — a 25-foot triple on another Mincy feed — to push South Carolina back ahead 9-5 at the 17:12 mark.
Shane Blakeney extended the advantage to 15-5 with a 24-foot three-pointer assisted by Johnson at 14:41, and the South Carolina lead continued to swell. Jakub Necas provided the late first-half surge, hitting back-to-back three-pointers from 24 and 23 feet — both set up by Johnson — to push the margin to 31-17 at the 2:35 mark. Juan Fernandez capped the stretch with a 27-foot bomb off a Johnson assist, and Johnson added two free throws at the buzzer to send the Gamecocks to the locker room ahead 37-17.
Turning Point
South Carolina tightened its grip on the contest with a dominant 20-0 run that pushed the score from 31-17 to 48-18, erasing any realistic path back for the Peacocks. The surge carried late first-half momentum into a devastating second-half opening: Bieliauskas converted a free throw, then Johnson drilled a 24-foot three-pointer to make it 44-17 just over two minutes into the second half. A Johnson free throw at 46-17 followed, and Saint Peter's — hampered by 15 turnovers and an inability to generate consistent offense — could not stem the tide. When Blakeney connected from 23 feet off a Hugo Lopez assist at 11:19 to make it 55-25, the outcome ceased to be in doubt.
Star of the Game
Marcus Johnson authored the most complete performance of the night, finishing with 20 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds to anchor the South Carolina attack. His playmaking defined the game's rhythm — Johnson set up Bieliauskas, Necas, Fernandez, and Blakeney for three-point looks throughout the evening, while also creating off the dribble to drain his own 24-foot three in the second half. He added an assist on a Hayden Assemian dunk that pushed the lead to 59-25, with Assemian later closing out the scoring with an 8-foot turnaround at 77-41.
Bieliauskas complemented Johnson's orchestration with 11 points on three first-half three-pointers. Davion Hannah contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Lopez added 9 points with 5 boards.
For Saint Peter's, Thomas was the most consistent offensive presence with 15 points, including a second-half three-pointer. Bryce Eaton added 10 points and drained a late three, and Jordan Mathews hauled in 5 rebounds — but the Peacocks struggled to find the secondary contributions needed to threaten a South Carolina team operating with precision from long range.
What It Means
The win gives South Carolina an emphatic early-season statement, showcasing a roster capable of elite three-point shooting and disciplined ball movement. The Gamecocks' 13 assists against 10 turnovers reflected an offensive system with genuine cohesion, and their 35-30 rebounding edge demonstrated consistent presence on both ends of the floor.
Saint Peter's fell short in a difficult road environment, with 26% shooting from the field and 15 turnovers compounding the challenge of facing a team this precise from beyond the arc. The Peacocks will look to sharpen their efficiency as the season progresses.
