Dozier, Notice lead No. 19 Gamecocks past LSU, 88-63

South Carolina guard Duane Notice (10) puts the ball in the bucket for two points as LSU forward Wayde Sims (44) and LSU guard Branden Jenkins (10) watch in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — PJ Dozier and Duane Notice each scored 17 points, and No. 19 South Carolina easily defeated reeling LSU 88-63 on Wednesday night.

Chris Silva tied a career high with 16 points, and Sindarius Thornwell also scored 16 for the Gamecocks (18-4, 8-1 Southeastern Conference), who are off to their best start in conference play since the 1997 squad opened its SEC schedule 11-0. The victory also lifted South Carolina into a tie with eighth-ranked Kentucky atop the league standings.

Brandon Sampson scored 16 points and Skylar Mays 11 for LSU (9-12, 1-8), which trailed by 20 in the first half en route to its eighth straight defeat — seven by 13 points or more.

South Carolina shot 49.2 percent while outscoring LSU 42-32 inside and turned 22 Tigers turnovers into 34 points.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The Gamecocks opened the game with intensity, showing no signs of playing down to the competition and doing exactly what would be expected of them against a struggling team in a largely empty stadium. Dozier (14 points), Silva (12 points) and Thornwell (11 points) all reached double figures in scoring in the first half, when South Carolina raced to a 20 point lead less than 12 minutes into the game.

LSU: The Tigers continue to show little sign of being competitive. Their 18-point halftime hole could have been even worse if not for a 14-point outburst by Sampson in the opening 20 minutes, including a 7-0 LSU run during which Sampson hit a 3, turned a steal into a breakaway dunk and added another layup through a crowd.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The comfortable victory certainly won’t hurt South Carolina in the poll, but isn’t likely to help much, either.

JAMMED UP

For all their dominance, the Gamecocks spectacularly missed a pair of one-handed dunk attempts that they tried to throw down hard, only to send long rebounds rocketing off the rim. Hassani Gravett missed on an alley-oop attempt in the first half and Silva clanked a driving dunk attempt in the second.

CALLED DOWN

The lower rows of bleacher-style seating where the rowdiest students usually sit was practically empty when the game began. LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux changed that — for one half, at least — when she climbed into the upper reaches of the student section and persuaded several dozen students to move down behind the goal. By halftime, however, a number of them abandoned the section, if not the stadium.

UP NEXT

South Carolina hosts Georgia on Saturday.

LSU hosts Texas A&M on Saturday night.