South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball guard Kory Mincy scored 19 points and ignited a 13–0 second-half surge to defeat Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 78–68 on Sunday in Columbia.
Mincy made 6 of 11 field goals, hit 2 three-pointers, and went 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. He added 3 steals. His 10 points during the 13–0 stretch erased a one-point deficit and gave South Carolina a 46–34 lead. He hit a basket just before halftime to give the Gamecocks a one-point lead.
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Juan Fernandez scored 18 points for South Carolina, making 10 of 13 free throws. Jakub Necas added 12 points, including a three-pointer during an 8–0 first-half run. Freshman Marcus Johnson scored 10 points off the bench.
Fontaine Williams Jr. led Southeast Missouri State with 18 points, making all three of his three-point attempts. Marqueas Bell scored 13 points. Landren Blocker gave SEMO a 20–17 lead with a three-pointer at the 6:54 mark of the first half and a 32–31 advantage before halftime.
After Blocker’s basket put SEMO ahead 32–31, Mincy answered with a shot to give South Carolina a one-point edge at halftime. Bell opened the second half with a basket for SEMO, but Mincy responded after a Camden Heide three-pointer, helping the Gamecocks build their first double-digit lead.
Williams cut the deficit to 59–55 with a three-pointer at 6:37 remaining. Necas answered with a three, and Mincy followed with a layup. South Carolina held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
Southeast Missouri State (2–1) plays at Middle Tennessee on Friday. South Carolina (2–0) hosts Saint Peter’s on Wednesday.
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