Strong scores season-best 22 points, leads South Carolina over Charleston Southern 74-62
AP
Nov 28, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Elijah Strong scored 20 of his season-high 22 points in the second half and South Carolina Gamecocks beat Charleston Southern Buccaneers 74-62 on Friday.
The Gamecocks pulled away when Kobe Knox scored on a one-handed dunk, sparking a 16-4 run for a 57-45 lead with about seven minutes to play. Strong scored seven points during the stretch.
A little more than a minute later, Jesse Hafemeister answered with a 3-pointer and Brycen Blaine made a layup to pull the Buccaneers to 57-50 but they didn't get closer.
Strong, who spent the past two seasons at Boston College, shot 8 of 11 in the second half. Knox finished with 15 points and Nordin Kapic added 11 for South Carolina (5-2), which ended a two-game skid.
Blaine scored 23 points to lead Charleston Southern (5-4). A’lahn Sumler added 14 points and Hafemeister had 10.
Knox scored seven points to help the Gamecocks build a 30-28 halftime advantage. Blaine scored 12 first-half points to pace Charleston Southern. A Blaine 3-pointer gave the Buccaneers their last lead, 40-39, with about 13 minutes left in the second half.
South Carolina hosts Virginia Tech on Tuesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Charleston Southern plays at UT Martin on Tuesday.
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1st Half
CHSO
Buccaneers
28
SCAR
Gamecocks
30
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Reis Jones vs. Jordan Butler (Buccaneers gains possession)
19:37
Jacob Taylor turnover (out of bounds)
19:23
Jordan Butler misses two point jump shot
19:21
Nordin Kapic offensive rebound
19:10
Reis Jones blocks Nordin Kapic's two point layup
19:08
Jordan Butler offensive rebound
19:00
Jordan Butler misses two point turnaround hook shot
18:58
Nate Brafford defensive rebound
18:45
Jacob Taylor turnover (bad pass) (Mike Sharavjamts steals)
18:29
+2
Mike Sharavjamts makes two point layup
0-2
18:24
+2
Reis Jones makes two point alley-oop layup (Luke Williams assists)
2-2
17:58
+2
Mike Sharavjamts makes two point driving floating jump shot
2-4
17:38
+2
Nate Brafford makes two point layup
4-4
17:19
+2
Jordan Butler makes two point hook shot (Nordin Kapic assists)
4-6
16:57
Mike Sharavjamts blocks Reis Jones's two point layup
16:55
Gamecocks defensive rebound
16:46
Eli Ellis misses three point jump shot
16:44
Lase Olalere defensive rebound
16:31
Brycen Blaine misses two point layup
16:29
Eli Ellis defensive rebound
16:19
+3
Nordin Kapic makes three point jump shot (Mike Sharavjamts assists)
4-9
15:58
Nate Brafford misses three point jump shot
15:56
Meechie Johnson defensive rebound
15:46
Nordin Kapic misses three point jump shot
15:44
Luke Williams defensive rebound
15:35
Nate Brafford misses two point layup
15:33
Meechie Johnson defensive rebound
15:26
+2
Nordin Kapic makes two point layup (Mike Sharavjamts assists)
4-11
15:06
Meechie Johnson personal foul
15:06
TV timeout
15:03
+3
Jesse Hafemeister makes three point jump shot (Armari Carraway assists)
7-11
14:34
Grant Polk misses two point pullup jump shot
14:32
Devin Brafford defensive rebound
14:23
Mike Sharavjamts blocks Brycen Blaine's two point driving floating jump shot
14:21
Buccaneers offensive rebound
14:10
Devin Brafford misses three point jump shot
14:08
Eli Ellis defensive rebound
13:52
Eli Ellis misses two point layup
13:50
Devin Brafford defensive rebound
13:42
Brycen Blaine misses three point jump shot
13:40
Eli Ellis defensive rebound
13:40
Jesse Hafemeister personal foul (Eli Ellis draws the foul)
13:25
Reis Jones personal foul (Christ Essandoko draws the foul)
13:09
+3
Kobe Knox makes three point pullup jump shot
7-14
12:44
Brycen Blaine misses three point jump shot
12:42
Gamecocks defensive rebound
12:42
Lase Olalere personal foul
12:21
Christ Essandoko misses three point jump shot
12:19
Gamecocks offensive rebound
12:19
Armari Carraway personal foul
12:09
Nordin Kapic misses three point jump shot
12:07
A'lahn Sumler defensive rebound
12:01
+2
A'lahn Sumler makes two point layup
9-14
11:55
+2
Nordin Kapic makes two point layup
9-16
11:55
Devin Brafford shooting foul (Nordin Kapic draws the foul)
11:55
TV timeout
11:55
Nordin Kapic misses regular free throw 1 of 1
11:55
Brycen Blaine defensive rebound
11:36
Brycen Blaine misses three point jump shot
11:34
Nordin Kapic defensive rebound
11:22
Reis Jones blocks Nordin Kapic's two point layup
11:20
Nate Brafford defensive rebound
11:09
Brycen Blaine misses two point driving floating jump shot
11:08
Nate Brafford offensive rebound
10:55
A'lahn Sumler misses two point layup
10:53
Reis Jones offensive rebound
10:46
Reis Jones misses two point hook shot
10:44
Nate Brafford offensive rebound
10:35
Reis Jones misses two point alley-oop dunk
10:33
Nordin Kapic defensive rebound
10:20
Jordan Butler misses three point jump shot
10:18
Luke Williams defensive rebound
9:59
A'lahn Sumler misses three point jump shot
9:57
Nordin Kapic defensive rebound
9:53
Reis Jones blocks Meechie Johnson's two point layup