Missouri @ South Carolina preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 2, 2019 ) South Carolina 63, Missouri 78

Missouri visits South Carolina on Saturday looking to build off a stirring comeback Tuesday, in which the Tigers rallied from 20 points down with less than 14 minutes remaining to defeat Georgia. Senior forward Reed Nikko scored a career-high 13 points and his blocked shot helped preserve a one-point lead in the closing seconds of the 72-69 victory, as the Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak and won in SEC play for just the second time this season.

Sophomore guard Xavier Pinson scored all 16 of his points in the final 14 minutes, and noted Missouri’s defensive intensity after halftime in telling reporters, “In the second half, it was more, ‘they’re not going to score, and we’re going to score.’” The Gamecocks turned around their season after upsetting Kentucky two weeks ago, winning four of their past five following a 79-77 victory Wednesday at Arkansas. Sophomore guard AJ Lawson led four players in double figures scoring with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, and South Carolina never trailed while shooting 50.9 percent from the field. “We did it without making free throws or 3s,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin told the media postgame. “We continued to scrap and fight and scrap and fight, and made enough plays offensively.”

TIME: 3:30 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT MISSOURI (10-10, 2-5 SEC): Junior guard Dru Smith scored 16 points Tuesday, finishing 5-for-5 from the free-throw line to extend his streak without a miss to 29, and in conference games he leads the league in steals per game (2.6). Sophomore guard Javon Pickett scored 11 points against Georgia on 5-for-11 shooting from the field, after averaging 5.5 points on 33.3 percent shooting in his previous eight contests. The Tigers allow 62.6 points per game overall, and in SEC play they lead the league in steals (7.4) and turnovers forced (15.1).

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (12-8, 4-3): Lawson averages a team-leading 14 points per game and has been hot of late, shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from 3-point range across his past four games. Junior guard Jair Bolden is 12-for-22 from 3-point range in his past four games, averaging 13.5 points in that span after scoring 12 on Wednesday. The Gamecocks are averaging 79.3 points across their past five games, after failing to score that many points in their previous six contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. South Carolina freshman G Trae Hannibal scored a season-high 11 points off the bench Wednesday, all in the second half.

2. Tuesday marked the first time five Missouri players scored in double figures in one game since Feb. 10, 2018.

3. Missouri sophomore G Torrence Watson scored 20 points to lead the Tigers past South Carolina 78-63 last season.

PREDICTION: South Carolina 73, Missouri 66