Field Level Media
Dec 5, 2018
Justin James scored 20 points and snagged 12 rebounds, and Jake Hendricks added 16 points to lead Wyoming to a 73-64 victory against South Carolina on Wednesday night in Laramie, Wy.
Trevon Taylor (11 points) also finished in double figures for the Cowboys, who improved to 2-3 on their home floor this season. Wyoming swished 10 3-pointers on 20 attempts, with Hendricks leading the charge on 5-for-8 accuracy from beyond the arc.
A.J. Lawson paced South Carolina with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Chris Silva contributed 11 points and eight rebounds. Shooting struggles plagued the Gamecocks, whose 33.3 percent showing from the field included a 3-for-21 effort from 3-point range.
The Cowboys took command with a 14-0 run over a 4:30 stretch early in the second half, turning a 41-36 deficit into a 50-41 advantage. The surge included two treys from Hendricks and an alley-oop dunk by James. South Carolina missed six shots and committed six turnovers during the drought.
A Nyaires Redding jumper pushed the Wyoming lead to 58-48 with 9:28 left, as the Cowboys led by as many as 12 points down the stretch.
South Carolina led by as many as nine points in the first half, remaining steady on the offensive end after making four of its first seven shots to open the game. The Cowboys, meanwhile, started 0-for-4 from the field and did not score until Hunter Thompson drilled a 3 at the 15:41 mark of the opening half.
Wyoming kept chasing South Carolina for the remainder of the half, drawing to within 20-19 on a Hunter Maldonado jumper at the 8:23 mark. The Gamecocks responded with a 8-0 run over the next 2:21, which included four points from Felipe Haase.
South Carolina responded to another Cowboys charge before the half, taking a 37-33 lead into the break.
Wyoming recovered in the second half behind steady scoring and defense. The Gamecocks won the rebounding battle, 43-31.
--Field Level Media