COLOMBIA, SC – – Keyshawn Bryant had his first double-double of the season and the South Carolina defense stifled Georgia in the Gamecocks’ 83-59 victory on Wednesday night.
Bryant finished with 19 points, the season record with 10 rebounds and the best of his career with three steals. Jermain Couisnard added 18 points, AJ Lawson scored 12 points and Justin Minaya 10.
Bryant scored all of his 11 points in the first half during a 21-4 run that gave South Carolina (4-5, 2/3 of the Southeast Conference) the advantage forever, and made it 32-19 when Lawson hit a basket 3 point with 3: 17 came before the break. Andrew Garcia made a tray to reduce Georgia’s handicap to 41-35 with 16:38 to play. Cousinard responded with a 3-point basket before Bryant hit two free throws and Minaya hit a 3 on an 8-2 shot, and the Bulldogs lost by double digits the rest of the way.
Freshman KD Johnson scored 13 points and Garcia finished with 10 for Georgia (9-6, 2-6).
The Bulldogs hit six of their first 13 shots and led 14-8 after Sahvir Wheeler hit a jumper with 11:33 remaining in the first half, but only hit 28% (15 of 53) of the rest of the way. The Gamecocks defense contested jumpers, challenged shots at the ledge and forced three violations of the Georgia shooting clock. The Bulldogs scored just 4 out of 26 in the 3-point range in their lowest-scoring game of the season.
Bryant, a six-foot-1 junior who missed most of December and mid-January for undisclosed reasons, has averaged 22.0 points in four games since his return.
South Carolina broke a three game skid.