COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – Devontae Shuler set his career record with 31 points in a return to his native South Carolina and…
COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – Devontae Shuler scored 31 points, the best of his career, in a return to his homeland, South Carolina, and his block and two free throws resulting nine seconds from the end helped Ole Miss to clear the Gamecocks 81-74 on Saturday.
Shuler, the current Player of the Week at the Southeast Conference, hit 8 out of 13 shots with 13 points in the break to mark his 10th consecutive double-digit game. He added 13 of 16 on the free-throw line, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Ole Miss (12-8, 6-6) had a double digit advantage for almost the entire second half, until consecutive robberies by AJ Lawson and Trae Hannibal helped South Carolina (5-9, 3-7) provoke a 6-0 run and reduced Ole Miss’s lead to 76-69 with 1:28 remaining.
TJ Moss hit a 3-point ball 17 seconds from the end and South Carolina lost by five and recovered the ball in a steal from Lawson. He missed a 3-point basket and Hannibal’s attempt to pull back was blocked by Shuler, who was fouled and did both to freeze the victory.
Romello White added 14 points and KJ Buffen 12 for Ole Miss, who hit 50% of the game (22 of 44), but hit 34 of 44 free throws.
Lawson led South Carolina with 22 points, making 4 of 12 points out of 3. Wildens Leveque added 13 points with three blocks and Hannibal scored six of his 12 points in the final 3:23.
Ole Miss led 36-28 at the break, closing in a 17-9 streak from a 19-19 draw at 6:08, with the Gamecocks missing five of their last seven shots with three turns. South Carolina got 40% in the game.
Rebels’ Luis Rodriguez, fifth in the SEC in steals at 1.7 per game, scored three and scored six points before dropping out. Ole Miss had five steals in the first half and 11 in the game. South Carolina had 14 steals, Justin Minaya with three.
Ole Miss is hosting the rival in the state of Mississippi on February 20, looking for a win this season. South Carolina is ranked 16th in Tennessee on Tuesday.
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