COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Sindarius Thornwell scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and Duane Notice hit a foul shot with 3:11 left that put South Carolina ahead for good in a 63-57 victory over Mississippi State on Tuesday night.
Notice added his only basket, a 3-pointer with 2:12 to go, that extended the lead for the Gamecocks (22-8, 12-5 SEC) who won the second-most Southeastern Conference games in their history and clinched one of the top four seeds for next week’s league tournament.
Not that it was easy.
Mississippi State (14-15, 5-12), playing without injured leading scorer Quinndary Weatherspoon, erased a 10-point deficit midway through the half and took a 52-50 lead on Tyson Carter’s 3-pointer with 4:29 to go. But Thornwell tied things up with two foul shots before Notice’s go-ahead free throw.
Chris Silva had 15 points and 11 rebounds for South Carolina, his third double-double game this season.
Thornwell and Notice were honored before the game, along with fellow senior Justin McKie, in their final time at Colonial Life Arena.
Mississippi State finished with 20 turnovers as it lost its seventh straight and ninth in the past 10 games. Mario Kegler had 12 points and Carter 11 to lead the Bulldogs.
The Gamecocks victory bolstered their NCAA Tournament credentials with their 12th SEC win, the highest total in program history behind the 1997 team that went 15-1 for its only league championship.
THE BIG PICTURE
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs played without Quinndary Weatherspoon, out with a sprained ankle. He went through warmups before the settling for a seat on the bench. Mississippi State has struggled with the 16.7 points a game scorer in the lineup, but will likely have little chance of closing on a good note with Weatherspoon on the sideline. … It’s the fifth straight season the Bulldogs have double-digit losses in Southeastern Conference play.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks had high hopes for a quick start in the last regular-season home game for seniors Sindarius Thornwell, Duane Notice and Justin McKie. But the trio shot a combined 1 of 11 from the floor for seven points. Thornwell also saw his foul-shooting streak of 32 in a row end with a miss from the line right before halftime. … South Carolina’s cold start included missing their first 10 3-pointers until PJ Dozier broke the ice with his long-range basket.
UP NEXT
Mississippi State closes the regular season at home against LSU on Saturday night.
South Carolina finishes the regular season at Mississippi on Saturday night.
