South Carolina didn’t need long to show St. Peter’s a different kind of look Wednesday night.
With starter Camden Heide sidelined by a sprained left wrist, the Gamecocks had to shuffle some things around. That opened the door for Aleksas Bieliauskas to step into the spotlight early, and the 6-foot-11 center made the most of it. Before the Peacocks could settle in, he drilled three 3-pointers in the first three minutes, all from nearly the same area just to the right of the top of the key.
“That boy can shoot, man,” said freshman guard Marcus Johnson. “I been telling him in practice, 'When I come off the screen, be ready.'”
Bieliauskas’ quick burst gave South Carolina an early jolt in what became a 77-41 win in Columbia. St. Peter’s knew he had range, but that kind of start from a center was a different problem entirely.
“If you know the history of where I’ve been, it’s not impossible that that’s happened before. He did that, I think against Michigan.
That’s a weapon,” said coach Lamont Paris, who also celebrated his 52nd birthday on Wednesday. “You wouldn’t know that because he hasn’t had a lot of 3-point attempts.
“That was part of the reason why we intentionally went at him to shoot that 3 early. He liked the shot and I loved the shot. He was aggressive to shoot it and knocked them down.”
Johnson ended up carrying the box score in his first career start, finishing with 20 points, six assists and five steals while also drawing 12 fouls. Bieliauskas finished with 11. Even so, the big man’s early shooting spree set the tone.
“I never had a starter like that, the big hitting three in a row,” Davion Hannah said. “He can shoot the ball.
We tell him, anytime he’s got an open 3, let it fly. And he do.”
The Gamecocks were up only 10 at the final media timeout of the first half and had to work through St. Peter’s zone before finally breaking it open with their speed and athleticism. A 9-0 run over the final 2:35 of the half gave South Carolina a cushion it never gave back.
St. Peter’s managed just seven points in the first 12 minutes of the second half, and the game wound up as the lowest-scoring effort allowed under Paris. South Carolina also posted its highest 3-point percentage under him at 60.
The Peacocks fell to 0-4, while the Gamecocks improved to 3-0.
Heide’s absence was the only notable injury note. Paris said the wrist is improving and he is optimistic Heide can play Saturday. The injury happened Sunday against Southeast Missouri State when Heide went up for a dunk, and Paris described it as more of a jammed wrist than a sprain.
South Carolina returns home to face Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. Saturday.
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For South Carolina fans, the result is worth filing away because it exposed a vulnerability in a rival that will matter if Clemson has to chase games against better competition. The Tigers still have time to settle in during the 2026-2027 season, but the way Georgetown controlled the opening stretch is the kind of weakness opponents will keep trying to exploit. [Read more 🡒]