Jermaine Couisnard and reserve Devin Carter both scored 16 points as South Carolina defeated Western Kentucky 75-64 in the consolation game of the Asheville Championship on Sunday at Asheville, N.C.
James Reese V supplied 14 points, making four of South Carolina’s nine 3-point baskets. Carter was 8-for-8 on free throws as the Gamecocks (2-1) bounced back from Friday’s loss to Princeton.
Western Kentucky (1-2) was led by Josh Anderson’s 16 points and Jairus Hamilton’s 13. Dayvion McKnight supplied 11 points and Jaylen Butz had 10.
The Hilltoppers were 6-for-24 on 3-point attempts.
South Carolina’s trouble largely stemmed from ball-handling. The Gamecocks were charged with 24 turnovers and they shot 45.6 percent from the field.
A huge rebounding edge worked to their advantage, holding a 46-28 margin on the boards. South Carolina’s Wildens Leveque had 11 rebounds.
Couisnard and Leveque combined to shoot 9-for-13 from the field. South Carolina’s other starters were a collective 9-for-27 from the floor.
Reese made a 3-pointer to break a 35-35 tie in the second half. The Gamecocks led the rest of the game.
Carter hit a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 49-39 with 11:13 remaining. The Gamecocks had squandered a 10-point lead in the Princeton game, but despite the turnover troubles they held on this time.
South Carolina led 66-51 with five minutes to play after a Carter dunk.
But Anderson’s 3-pointer trimmed the margin to 68-61 with 3:28 left. Couisnard’s 3-pointer and Carter’s layup helped the Gamecocks regain control.
The Gamecocks built a 31-24 halftime lead. Much of that gap was established during a stretch of more than five minutes in which Western Kentucky managed just two points.
Western Kentucky was coming off a loss to Minnesota in the first round.
–Field Level Media
