South Carolina tops Saint Mary’s 78-71

HONOLULU (AP) — Tyrone Johnson scored 16 points to lead four players in double figures as South Carolina handed St. Mary’s its first loss of the season with a 78-71 win in Sunday’s first round of the Diamond Head Classic.

Sindarius Thornwell scored 13 points, Laimonas Chatkevicius scored 12 points and Duane Notice added 11 for the Gamecocks (3-5).

Brad Waldow scored 20 points to lead the Gaels (9-1). Beau Levesque scored 15, Stephen Holt 14, and James Walker III had 13 in the loss.

South Carolina scored six straight to extend its lead to 68-60 with five minutes remaining. The Gaels cut the deficit to 70-68 after Levesque’s basket with 2:57 left but Johnson responded with a 3-pointer for a 73-68 lead with 2:11 left. The Gaels got no closer than four points the rest of the game.