South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (11/02/2026) — The South Carolina Gamecocks opened their 2026 season with an emphatic 81-55 victory over the Stetson Hatters on Monday night at Colonial Life Arena, turning a competitive opening stretch into a wire-to-wire statement behind balanced scoring and near-flawless ball security.
How It Happened
The Stetson Hatters actually landed the first punch. Magnus Entenmann opened the scoring with a layup off a Thiago Sucatzky assist, and after Camden Heide answered with a 25-foot three, Collin Kuhl buried a 23-footer at the 16:59 mark to put the Hatters back in front, 7-5. Juan Fernandez tied it at 7 with a dunk off an Aleksas Bieliauskas feed — and from there, the South Carolina Gamecocks never trailed again.
The game featured just two lead changes and two ties, all packed into those opening minutes. Heide's alley-oop dunk from Kory Mincy at 13:26 and Mincy's 25-foot step-back three pushed the lead to 16-8, and South Carolina kept stretching it from the perimeter. Eli Sparkman knocked down back-to-back threes — one from Davion Hannah, one from Fernandez — and Jakub Necas added a 24-footer off another Hannah assist to make it 34-19 with 5:14 left in the half.
Stetson got timely shooting from Alex Doyle, who hit threes from 24 and 27 feet on consecutive possessions midway through the half, and Roman Miller connected from 26 feet at the 6:12 mark. But the Hatters could never string together the stops needed to close the gap. Heide's dunk off a Hannah assist made it 40-22, and Hugo Lopez's layup in the final seconds sent South Carolina into the break up 42-25.
The Gamecocks shot 51% from the floor for the game, dished 18 assists, and committed just five turnovers — a remarkable figure against a Stetson defense that forced little all night. The Hatters shot a respectable 43% and hit 38% from three, but 13 turnovers and a 35-21 rebounding deficit left them with too few possessions to mount a comeback.
Turning Point
Any lingering doubt evaporated midway through the second half. Heide opened the period with a 24-foot three off a Mincy assist, then threw down a dunk at 16:12 to make it 53-32. After Shane Blakeney's 23-footer — Hannah's fourth assist of the night — pushed the margin to 63-39, South Carolina unleashed its knockout blow: a 15-0 run that ballooned the lead to 72-41. The burst turned a comfortable win into a rout and allowed the Gamecocks to empty the bench down the stretch.
Stetson found some rhythm against the reserves late, with Miller McGowan and Jean-Ernest Boyomo Keedi hitting threes off Mason Fuentes assists in the final two minutes, but Fuentes closed the scoring at the free-throw line to fix the final at 81-55.
Star of the Game
Juan Fernandez set the tone from the opening minutes and never let up, finishing with a game-high 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. His first-half dunk erased Stetson's last lead, and his playmaking helped fuel South Carolina's three-point barrage. Davion Hannah deserves equal billing for his all-around night — 11 points, a team-high 9 rebounds, and 4 assists, three of which set up made threes. Camden Heide added 13 points on a diet of dunks and deep jumpers, while Jakub Necas chipped in 11.
For the Stetson Hatters, Collin Kuhl was a bright spot with 17 points and 7 rebounds, and Roman Miller added 11 points.
What It Means
For the South Carolina Gamecocks, this is the kind of season opener that checks every box: four players in double figures, 18 assists against 5 turnovers, a dominant 35-21 edge on the glass, and defensive pressure that held an opponent under 56 points. The assist-to-turnover ratio in particular suggests an offense that already knows where the ball should go — an encouraging sign this early in November with SEC play looming down the road.
The Stetson Hatters leave Columbia with useful film and a few individual performances to build on. Kuhl's 17-point, 7-rebound night and 38% team three-point shooting give them a foundation, but cleaning up the turnovers and finding answers on the defensive glass will be the priorities as they continue their non-conference slate.
