Missouri Tigers vs South Carolina Gamecocks Match Player Stats On Feb 20, 2021

Jeremiah Tilmon returned to action with 17 points as the No. 20 Missouri Tigers defeated the host South Carolina Gamecocks 93-78 on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.

The Tigers (14-6, 7-6 SEC) snapped a three-game losing streak and gave coach Cuonzo Martin his 250th career victory.

Tilmon came off the bench to shoot 5-for-5 from the floor and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line after missing two games due to a death in his family.

He had ample support from Dru Smith (17 points, seven assists), Xavier Pinson (16 points), Mark Smith (13 points) and Kobe Brown (12 points, six rebounds, three steals).

AJ Lawson scored 22 points and Keyshawn Bryant 15 for the Gamecocks (5-11, 3-9), who suffered their fifth consecutive defeat.

The Tigers led by as many as 19 points during the first half as the Gamecocks missed 26 of 36 shots from the floor. South Carolina closed within seven points in the second half before Missouri pulled away.

With Brown scoring seven early points by attacking the rim, the Tigers broke out to a 13-7 lead.

After Missouri pushed its margin to 20-11, Trae Hannibal hit 3-point jumpers on back-to-back possessions to pull the Gamecocks to within three points.

Mark Smith and Dru Smith hit three-pointers as the Tigers countered with a 10-1 surge to move ahead 30-18 midway through the first half.

Missouri extended that margin to 45-26 before Lawson hit a long 3-point shot to beat the halftime buzzer.

Lawson, who has at least 20 points in nine league games this year, carried that momentum into the second half. He scored six early points as the Gamecocks opened the second half with a 14-6 surge to cut Missouri's lead to 51-43 with 16 minutes left.

After South Carolina cut its deficit to 59-52, Missouri responded with a 14-4 run, capped by Mark Smith's seven-point surge, and seized control of the game for good.

--Field Level Media