South Carolina Gamecocks at East Carolina Pirates
· NCAA Men's Basketball
South Carolina fends off feisty East Carolina in first visit to ECU since 1988
B.J. Mack added 13 points for the Gamecocks (8-1) which shot 43.8% (21 for 48 overall). Johnson, Stute and Mack combined to make 14 of the team's 21-made baskets.
RJ Felton scored 15 points, Ezra Ausar and Bobby Pettiford Jr. scored 14 points apiece and Brandon Johnson 10 for East Carolina (6-4).
Mack's 3-pointer with 1:22 left gave South Carolina a 62-60 lead and it never trailed again. Pettiford tied it after an ECU timeout before Mack made 1 of 2 foul shots with 37 seconds left for a 63-62 advantage. On its next possession, Ausar lost control of the ball underneath the basket and it went out of bounds. Ta'Lon Cooper made 1 of 2 fouls shots on South Carolina's next possession for a two-point lead. ECU's Pettiford turned it over on the Pirates next possession and Davis sank two foul shots with four seconds left for the final margin.
East Carolina rallied from a 35-28 halftime deficit and outscored the Gamecocks 12-3 and took its first lead at 40-38 on Ausar's soft layin in the lane.
The Gamecocks turned an 11-10 lead into a 23-12 margin with 3-pointers coming from Davis, two from Cooper and Morris Ugusuk with each make off an assist as South Carolina worked the ball around the perimeter to counter the Pirates' 2/3 zone.
East Carolina responded with a 12-3 run pushing the pace to get within 26-24 with 3:27 before halftime, but South Carolina outscored the Pirates 9-4 and went to intermission up 35-28.
Saturday marked the first time the Pirates had welcomed a Southeastern Conference opponent to Minges Coliseum since 2002 when ECU beat Ole Miss, 65-58.
The Gamecocks hadn't visited Minges Coliseum since Jan. 13, 1988, when South Carolina defeated ECU 78-51. The Pirates now are 2/3 in home games against South Carolina.
How can I watch South Carolina vs. East Carolina?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 68 - 62 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 68 - 62 |
| 2nd 0:01 | South Carolina Defensive Rebound. | 68 - 62 |
| 2nd 0:01 | Bobby Pettiford Jr. missed Three Point Jumper. | 68 - 62 |
| 2nd 0:04 | Zachary Davis made Free Throw. | 68 - 62 |
Statistics
 SC |
 ECU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 21-48 | FG | 21-53 |
| 44 | Field Goal % | 40 |
| 9-26 | 3PT | 5-17 |
| 35 | Three Point % | 29 |
| 17-24 | FT | 15-23 |
| 71 | Free Throw % | 65 |
| 35 | Rebounds | 32 |
| 7 | Offensive Rebounds | 7 |
| 28 | Defensive Rebounds | 25 |
| 13 | Assists | 8 |
| 2 | Steals | 6 |
| 4 | Blocks | 2 |
| 9 | Turnovers | 8 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 9 | Total Turnovers | 8 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 13 | Points Off Turnovers | 16 |
| 5 | Fast Break Points | 4 |
| 22 | Points in Paint | 26 |
| 17 | Fouls | 18 |
| 11 | Largest Lead | 3 |
Game Information
Location: Greenville, NC
Attendance: 5,568 | Capacity:
2025-26 Southeastern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 16-2 | - | 27-8 |
| Arkansas | 13-5 | 3 | 28-9 |
| Alabama | 13-5 | 3 | 25-10 |
| Vanderbilt | 11-7 | 5 | 27-9 |
| Tennessee | 11-7 | 5 | 25-12 |
| Texas A&M | 11-7 | 5 | 22-12 |
| Georgia | 10-8 | 6 | 22-11 |
| Kentucky | 10-8 | 6 | 22-14 |
| Missouri | 10-8 | 6 | 20-13 |
| Texas | 9-9 | 7 | 21-15 |
| Auburn | 7-11 | 9 | 22-16 |
| Oklahoma | 7-11 | 9 | 21-16 |
| Mississippi State | 5-13 | 11 | 13-19 |
| Ole Miss | 4-14 | 12 | 15-20 |
| South Carolina | 4-14 | 12 | 13-19 |
| LSU | 3-15 | 13 | 15-17 |
2025-26 American Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Florida | 15-3 | - | 25-9 |
| Tulsa | 13-5 | 2 | 30-8 |
| Wichita State | 13-5 | 2 | 24-12 |
| UAB | 11-7 | 4 | 20-12 |
| North Texas | 9-9 | 6 | 19-14 |
| Florida Atlantic | 9-9 | 6 | 18-15 |
| Charlotte | 9-9 | 6 | 17-17 |
| Tulane | 8-10 | 7 | 18-15 |
| Temple | 8-10 | 7 | 16-16 |
| Memphis | 8-10 | 7 | 13-19 |
| Rice | 7-11 | 8 | 13-18 |
| East Carolina | 6-12 | 9 | 11-20 |
| UTSA | 1-17 | 14 | 5-25 |