Kotsar leads South Carolina past George Washington

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Maik Kotsar continued his strong stretch with 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as South Carolina (5-3) broke a two-game losing streak with a 74-65 win over George Washington on Sunday.

The Gamecocks’ power forward, a four-year starter, has been the only constant through a stretch of three losses in four games, and with leading scorer AJ Lawson turnover-prone on Sunday, South Carolina needed him to be as productive. Kotsar used his size and tender hook shot to whip the Colonials’ undersized interior as the Gamecocks improved to 5-3.

George Washington (3-5) scored the game’s first basket off a Lawson turnover, but South Carolina scored the next 17 points. The Colonials never went away, forward Jamison Battle splashing six 3-pointers, but the Gamecocks could always go back inside. Kotsar only missed one of his nine field-goal attempts, flushing a fast-break dunk with less than 30 seconds to play as the Gamecocks salted it.

It was a career-best fifth straight game in double figures for Kotsar.

Lawson had 14 points, while point guard Jair Bolden and Jermaine Couisnard each had 12.