Marcus Johnson wasted no time making his first college start count.
The freshman scored 20 points and South Carolina leaned on a suffocating defensive effort to roll past St. Peter’s 77-41 on Wednesday night at Colonial Life Arena. The win was the Gamecocks’ third straight, and it came with USC (3-0) holding the Peacocks under 30% shooting.
Johnson, still wearing a black mask after taking an elbow to the face in practice, gave South Carolina a burst right after halftime. He scored six points in the first three minutes of the second half as the Gamecocks stretched the game open.
That kind of defensive showing was exactly what Lamont Paris has been asking for. Against St. Peter’s, South Carolina delivered its best defensive performance of the season.
The offense was not as clean throughout, though it still found enough answers. South Carolina went more than 11 minutes in the first half without a field goal, but the Gamecocks kept the scoreboard moving by getting to the line and still built a 25-13 lead. Jaku Nečas finally broke the drought with a 3-pointer, and South Carolina closed the half on a 12-0 run to go into the break up 37-13.
The Gamecocks also shot the ball well from deep, hitting 9 of 15 3-pointers.
St. Peter’s, which made its Cinderella run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, fell to 0-4. The Peacocks entered the game ranked 329th of 365 Division I teams in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings.
South Carolina’s ability to attack the free-throw line has become a theme early in the season. The Gamecocks took 40 free throws in Sunday’s win over Southeast Missouri, the second-most in Lamont Paris’ five seasons, and followed that with 34 attempts against St. Peter’s, making 26.
Bieliauskas gave USC an early lift from outside. The 6-foot-11 Wisconsin transfer hit South Carolina’s first three baskets, all from beyond the arc, and his third 3-pointer pushed the Gamecocks ahead 9-5 less than four minutes into the game.
Bieliauskas had made just one 3-pointer coming into the night, but he has shown he can fill it up before. Last year at Wisconsin, the Lithuanian native knocked down five 3s in a win over Michigan.
South Carolina was also without forward Cam Heide, who missed the game with a left wrist injury. Heide, a Texas transfer, was seen with a brace on his wrist after hurting it when he went up for a dunk in Sunday’s win over Southeast Missouri State.
He is averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. Paris said Heide is “making good progress.”
Johnson started in Heide’s place.
In Other News...
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Kendal Briles has popped up in the mix for Nebraskas offensive coordinator opening after Matt Rhule moved on from Dana Holgorsen, and that alone gives South Carolina fans a familiar name to track. Briles has spent years building offenses across a long list of stops, including Baylor, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Florida State, Arkansas, TCU and South Carolina, and his background has made him a sought-after fit whenever a staff wants a proven play-caller.
For Gamecocks fans, the interest goes beyond the job title. Briles has coordinated systems that have ranked among the nations best in scoring, total offense and rushing, while also showing he can work with quarterbacks who bring different strengths to the table. If Nebraska decides he is the right fit, it would be another reminder of how much his offensive reputation still travels, even after his time in Columbia. [Read more 🡒]
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The biggest question hanging over the trip is the status of starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who is listed as questionable because of an ankle injury. Shane Beamer has said he expects Sellers to play, but South Carolinas margin for error gets a lot thinner if he is limited or unavailable, making this one of the more important injury situations the Gamecocks have faced in a key November stretch. [Read more 🡒]
LaNorris Sellers Just Gave South Carolina Fans Another Reason To Dream
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The award is voted on by Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, with finalists and the winner set to be announced later this month. For South Carolina, Sellers rise is about more than one honor list. It is another sign that the quarterback from in-state talent has become the kind of player who can lift the program into a bigger conversation, even if the final chapter of this award race is still to come. [Read more 🡒]