Robotham’s 16 lead Zips past Gamecocks 68-63

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Noah Robotham had 16 points and Deji Ibitayo 15 as Akron outlasted South Carolina to take third place at the Charleston Classic with a 68-63 victory Sunday.

The Zips (3-1) defeated their second Power Five conference team in this event after opening with a 66-46 win over Southern Cal of the Pac-12 Conference here on Thursday. This time, their Southeastern Conference opponent played them tight throughout, erasing a 12-point second half lead when Laimonas Chatkevicius hit a foul shot to tie things at 55-all with 6:55 remaining.

But Kwan Cheatham had the go-ahead basket as the Zips closed the game on 10-5 run.

Akron had lost to South Carolina twice last year, once in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii on Christmas Day and then a few days later at the Gamecocks’ Colonial Life Arena.

Sindarius Thornwell had 13 points to lead South Carolina (2-3).