South Carolina dominates UTEP 80-56

Four different South Carolina Gamecocks scored in double figures, as the SEC squad and Final Four team from a year ago throttled UTEP 80-56 Friday morning.

The Gamecocks shot 50 percent from the field for most of the game, and scored on 50 percent of their total possessions to easily dispose of the Miners who were coming off a tough first round loss yesterday.

UTEP hung around in the first four minutes, but then South Carolina got hot, and rolled UTEP from there.

After a Matt Willms layup made it 12-8 South Carolina at the 16:23 mark of the first half, the Gamecocks went on a 25-9 spurt capped of a by 3-pointer from Felipe Haase to give USC a 37-17 lead with just under eight minutes left until the half.

South Carolina shot 54.8 percent in the first half, and led 50-24 at the break. UTEP started the game shooting 7-for-10 from the field, but went on a 4-for-16 cold streak from there, and trailed 61-31 in the opening five minutes of the second half.

Willms led the Miners with 18 points and six rebounds, Omega Harris reached double figures with 10 points, but the Miners had no answer for South Carolina on the defensive end and continually turned the bal over.

UTEP shot 42.2 percent from the field, and went 5-for-13 from long distance in the game. The ugly on the stat sheet was the 23 UTEP turnovers in which South Carolina scored 26 points off turnovers.

The Miners scored on 28 of their 74 total possessions, and turned it over 31 percent of the time.

Keith Frazier scored seven points, but suffered an ankle injury was limited to just 14 minutes, and did play in the second half.

UTEP never led, and were out scored 28-20 in the paint, and 13-2 in fast break chances.

The Miners wrap up the Puerto Rico Tip Off Sunday at 9:30 am on Watch ESPN.