Gamecocks improve to 11-1 for just the fourth time in school history and notch first 8-game home winning streak since 2015-16
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Ta’Lon Cooper scored 17 points to lead South Carolina to a 70-43 victory over Elon on Friday night.
South Carolina has won four in a row and is off to an 11-1 start for the fourth time in program history. The Gamecocks have won eight straight at home, their longest streak since a 13-game run during the 2015-16 season.
Cooper made 7 of 11 shots with three 3-pointers for the Gamecocks. He added six rebounds and three assists. Myles Stute finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. Jacobi Wright scored 10 with three assists. Freshman Collin Murray-Boyles scored a season-best 10 points off the bench.
Wright had eight points, Cooper scored seven and the pair accounted for half of South Carolina’s output in building a 30-20 lead at halftime. The Gamecocks shot 39.3% and made just 2 of 13 from 3-point range (15.4%). Elon shot 26.7% and hit 2 of 8 from distance.
Sam Sherry led the Phoenix (6-6) with 12 points, while Max Mackinnon scored 11.
South Carolina shot 41.3% overall and made 8 of 30 from beyond the arc (26.7%). Elon shot 32% and missed all six of its second-half shots from distance.
The Gamecocks snapped a two-game skid against the Phoenix, losing 65-53 at home in the last meeting in November 2012. They lead the series 3-2.
South Carolina’s only loss this season was a 72-67 setback at Clemson, which was ranked 24th at the time.
South Carolina will host Florida A&M on Dec. 30.
KEY STAT
- The Gamecock defense allowed a season low 43 points and a new career-low under head coach Lamont Paris surpassing the previous low of 53 against USC Upstate and Notre Dame on Nov. 6 and Nov. 28. Carolina held Elon to just 32.0 percent shooting (16-for-50) from the floor and just 14.3 percent (2-for-14) from three. The Phoenix came into tonight’s game averaging 83.8 points per game, which was 32nd in the country.
NOTABLES
- Graduate guard Ta’Lon Cooper recorded a season-high with 17 points on an efficient 7-of-11 from the field including three triples. It marks Cooper’s fourth double-figure scoring game of the season and his second game leading Carolina in points. Cooper added six rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes of action for Carolina.
- Freshman standout Collin Murray-Boyles provided vital minutes off the bench scoring a career-high 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting. It is…