Meechie Johnson and Mike Sharavjamts each scored 21 points as the South Carolina Gamecocks ended a seven-game losing streak with a 97-89 win over Mississippi State on Saturday in Columbia, South Carolina. Johnson also recorded a career-high nine assists, while Sharavjamts set his own career scoring high.
Kobe Knox contributed 17 points and Elijah Strong added 16 for South Carolina (12-15, 3-11 SEC), which shot 55.4% from the field. Eli Ellis came off the bench to score 13 points, helping the Gamecocks achieve their highest point total of the season.
South Carolina took control early with an 8-0 run in the first half and led at halftime, 46-39. The team extended its lead to 89-76 late in the second half following a corner three-pointer by Ellis.
Mississippi State (13-14, 5-9 SEC) was led by Quincy Ballard’s double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jaden Epps scored 13 points in the first half before leaving due to injury and did not return. Josh Hubbard, who leads the SEC in scoring, finished with just 13 points after being limited to two in the first half. Ja’Borri McGhee scored 12 and Sergei Macura added 10 for Mississippi State.
The Gamecocks were efficient from beyond the arc, shooting 50% (12-of-24) on three-pointers and making nearly all their free throws at an 85.2% clip (23-of-27). They also improved their rebounding performance in the second half with a 21-16 advantage after being out-rebounded by ten in the first period.
“Meechie Johnson finished with a game-high 21 points, his tenth game this season with twenty or more (eighth in SEC play). He was great at the free throw line again, going nine-of-ten after going nine-of-nine earlier in the week at No.12/11 Florida,” according to South Carolina Athletics. “The Cleveland, Ohio native now has thirteen consecutive games in double figures. He’s scored ten or more a team-leading twenty-one times this season.”
Johnson’s nine assists left him one short of becoming the first Gamecock since Devan Downey in 2008 to record a points-assists double-double.
“Senior guard Mike Sharavjamts matched Johnson with a career-high twenty-one points. He was efficient from the floor, going six-of-eight (75%). He added five assists (no turnovers) and four rebounds,” according to South Carolina Athletics.
Knox, Strong, and Ellis also reached double figures as part of a balanced offensive effort that saw South Carolina register twenty assists on thirty-one made field goals.
The ninety-seven points were the most scored by South Carolina during Lamont Paris’ tenure as head coach over four seasons. It tied for fourth-most points ever for South Carolina in an SEC game and was their highest output since January 2017 against Auburn.
“With the win today under Paris, the Gamecocks improved to twenty-one-and-two when scoring eighty or more points, sixteen-and-two when shooting above fifty percent from the floor, twelve-and-oh when making thirty or more field goals, eight-and-oh when shooting above fifty percent from behind the arc and eight-and-oh when dishing out twenty or more assists,” stated South Carolina Athletics.
Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard entered as both SEC and national top scorer but was held to thirteen points on four-of-twenty shooting by South Carolina’s defense.
South Carolina will next host Kentucky on Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena.
