Georgia Controls Game, Hands South Carolina Another Costly Loss
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Silas Demary Jr. led the charge with 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Blue Cain added 14 points as Georgia defeated South Carolina 73-64 on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs took control early, scoring the game’s first six points and never relinquishing the lead. South Carolina made a push, cutting the deficit to 49-47 with 9:24 remaining after Nick Pringle converted a three-point play. However, the Gamecocks went nearly seven minutes without a field goal, not hitting another shot until the 2:50 mark—a costly dry spell.
A crucial moment came when Collin Murray-Boyles missed two free throws with 52.3 seconds left, which could have trimmed the gap to four points. Instead, Dylan James responded immediately with a three-point play, stretching Georgia’s lead to 69-60 and sealing USC’s fate.
Freshman Asa Newell contributed 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting for Georgia (19-11, 7-10 SEC), which had already defeated South Carolina 71-60 back on Jan. 28.
Despite the loss, Murray-Boyles delivered a strong performance, leading South Carolina (12-18, 2-15 SEC) with 24 points, largely fueled by a 13-of-18 effort from the free-throw line. Pringle also added 11 points.
Demary, named SEC Player of the Week after averaging 23.5 points per game in wins over Florida and Texas, set the tone early, scoring 10 first-half points as Georgia built a 40-29 halftime lead.
Momentum swung permanently when Cain, who had been shooting 10-of-23 from three over his last five games, knocked down back-to-back three-pointers midway through the second half, pushing Georgia’s lead to 57-47.
Looking ahead, Georgia will host Vanderbilt on Saturday to close out its regular season, while South Carolina faces a tough road test at No. 4 Tennessee.
