The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
Bieliauskas Scores Career-High 23 as South Carolina Pulls Away From Gardner-Webb, 79-62
By Piper Rampage
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina pulled away in the second half to defeat Gardner-Webb 79-62 at Colonial Life Arena, improving to 4-0. Gardner-Webb fell to 1-3.
Aleksas Bieliauskas led the Gamecocks with a career-high 23 points. Marcus Johnson scored 16, and Juan Fernandez added 15. Jackson Skipper led Gardner-Webb with 12 points off the bench.
South Carolina held a slim 35-33 lead at halftime after scoring 35 points in the opening half to Gardner-Webb’s 33. The Runnin’ Bulldogs tied the game at 37-37 early in the second half, but Bieliauskas answered with a three-pointer at the 16:27 mark to put the Gamecocks ahead for good.
South Carolina built on that lead with a strong shooting performance after halftime. The Gamecocks made 16 of 25 shots in the second half, shooting 64 percent over the final period. They finished the game shooting 58.3 percent overall.
Gardner-Webb, meanwhile, was held to 8-of-28 shooting in the second half. The Gamecocks scored 44 points after the break, compared with 29 for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, turning a two-point halftime margin into a 17-point final advantage.
The rebounding and second-chance numbers favored Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs won the rebounding battle 32-23 and scored 13 second-chance points to South Carolina’s one. Despite those advantages, Gardner-Webb could not match South Carolina’s second-half shooting.
Bieliauskas’ three-pointer after the game was tied provided the turning point, putting South Carolina in front for the remainder of the contest. The Gamecocks then shot 64 percent in the half while limiting Gardner-Webb to 8 made field goals in 28 attempts.
South Carolina’s 44-point second half completed the pull-away from the early second-half tie and secured the 79-62 victory. Bieliauskas’ career-high 23 points led the way, with Johnson and Fernandez also reaching double figures as the Gamecocks remained unbeaten at 4-0.
Piper Rampage
Men’s College Basketball, The Library Media
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