Nick Pringle scored a career-high-tying 19 points as host South Carolina downed South Carolina Upstate 73-53 in a game delayed several minutes after a frightening injury on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
With 5:10 left in the first half, South Carolina Upstate’s Brit Harris was knocked off balance as he made a fastbreak dunk and came down on the back of his head.
Harris, the Spartans’ leading scorer, received medical attention for several minutes. He was immobilized and taken off on a stretcher. He appeared to have movement in his arms as he left the floor. There was no report on his condition before the end of the game.
Through the delay and with the atmosphere subdued, there was no disruption in the effectiveness of the Gamecocks (7-3) as they took advantage of their superior size inside.
The 6-foot-10 Pringle, a senior transfer from Alabama, finished 8-of-10 shooting from the field, dominating inside with Collin Murray-Boyles, who tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Jamarii Thomas provided 11 points and Jacobi Wright added 10 points and six assists as South Carolina won its fourth straight.
Breylin Garcia delivered 14 points and 13 rebounds for South Carolina Upstate (4-9), which has lost nine of the teams’ 10 meetings.
The Gamecocks took control early as Thomas and Wright made 3-pointers during a 15-4 run. When Murray-Boyles made a dunk to complete the run, it put South Carolina in front 19-8.
From there, the Spartans never made a serious run. Their best stretch came when they scored the final seven points of the first half.
Isaiah Skinner highlighted the spree with a triple as South Carolina Upstate reduced the deficit to 35-28 at the break.
Pringle excelled early in the second half, throwing down two dunks and powering for a three-point play that put South Carolina up 47-34 with 13:57 left.
Thomas scored the final two baskets of an 8-0 run that pushed the Gamecocks’ lead to 60-38 midway through the half.
South Carolina’s defense played a key role. The Gamecocks forced 15 turnovers while committing just eight. They outscored the Spartans off those mistakes 17-2.
–Field Level Media
