The South Carolina men’s basketball team defeated the Boston College Eagles 73-51 in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday night at Conte Forum, improving the team's record to 5-3.
The win marked South Carolina’s second consecutive season being victorious in the SEC/ACC Challenge, as the team defeated Notre Dame 65-53 on Nov. 28 last season. The SEC/ACC Challenge is an annual competition where each member of the SEC is matched up with a member of the ACC in head-to-head non-conference action.
The Gamecocks got out to an 8-6 lead a little less than a minute into the first half and didn’t look back, as the team held onto that lead for the rest of the game.
South Carolina went on a 17-4 run to finish out the first half, extending the team's lead to 36-19 at the break. The Gamecocks' defense prevented the Eagles from getting easy looks near the basket, holding the Eagles to only 19 first-half points.
The Eagles relied on graduate forward Chad Venning to do a majority of the scoring in the first half, as he recorded 10 points on eight shots. The Gamecocks were able to limit Venning in the second half, though, as the forward only scored 2 second-half points.
The Gamecocks held onto the lead for the entirety of the second half and prevented the Eagles from ever finding a groove in its home arena. The Gamecocks' defense continued to be disruptive, ending the game with 11 forced turnovers.
Offensively, the team was successful scoring from inside and from beyond the arc. South Carolina was able to shoot the ball efficiently throughout the game, making 10 of its 19 3-point attempts.
Sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles recorded a double-double in the first half, leading the way to a 16-point and 14-rebound performance. Senior forward Nick Pringle also recorded 11 points for the Gamecocks.
Sophomore guard Morris Ugusuk added 9 points off the bench. Ugusuk has now recorded three or more 3-pointers in consecutive games, all while shooting the three ball 50% on the season.
The Gamecocks have now won both of its ACC/SEC Challenge games since the series began in 2023.
Suffocating defense
South Carolina’s defense limited Boston College’s offensive production all night, holding the Eagles to 51 points. The point total for Boston College was its lowest in a game since January 2022.
In the first half, South Carolina held Boston College to just 19 points, which is the lowest point total the team has allowed in a half this season. The Eagles were 2-16 from beyond the arc and were held to a total 33.3% field goal percentage.
South Carolina was able to limit sophomore guard Donald Hand Jr.’s scoring to just 10 points while shooting 3-9. Hand Jr. is Boston College's leading scorer on the season, averaging 14.1 points a game heading into Tuesday's matchup.
Maintaining leads
The Gamecocks have maintained a lead for more than 71 out of 80 minutes in its past two games, dating back to the team's win against Virginia Tech in the Fort Myers Invitation on Nov. 27. South Carolina has taken control of these games by playing at its own pace and limiting significant scoring runs by i opponents.
After expanding the lead to 36-19 at the end of the first half, the Gamecocks held a lead of at least 15 points for the remainder of the game. The Gamecocks prevented Boston College from stringing multiple scoring possessions together, preventing the team from ever threatening its lead.
Balanced offensive production
In the Gamecocks' victory, the team maintained a balanced scoring attack as seven different players recorded at least 8 points. South Carolina’s offense was able to spread the floor efficiently inside and outside the arc as Boston College’s defense had to account for each player on the floor.
The Gamecocks were able to create scoring opportunities throughout the course of the game and ended the game with 16 assists as a team, compared to Boston College’s seven.
What’s next?
South Carolina (5-3) takes on East Carolina (7-2) at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m, and the game can be streamed on SEC Network+.