NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nijel Pack scored 24 points shooting 5 for 10 from 3-point range and Oklahoma beat South Carolina 86-74 in an opening-round game of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday.
The 11th-seeded Sooners (18-14) advance to play sixth-seeded Texas A&M on Thursday.
Derrion Reid scored 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, Tae Davis 18 shooting 7 of 10 and Xzayvier Brown 14 shooting 6 of 7. Oklahoma shot 60% (30 of 50).
Kobe Knox scored 20 points, Mike Sharavjamts 19 and Meechie Johnson 14 for 14th-seeded South Carolina (13-19). The Gamecocks shot 41% (25 of 61).
South Carolina built a 29-19 in the game’s first 10 minutes and the Gamecocks led 39-28 after Knox made a 3-pointer with 5:24 before halftime.
Down the stretch, the Sooners outscored South Carolina 14-3 to tie it at 42 at halftime. Oklahoma emerged from the break continuing its offensive spurt and outscored the Gamecocks 13-5 in the first five minutes of the second half and led 56-47.
Johnson’s 3-pointer with 10:52 left brought the Gamecocks within 61-56 but they would never get closer.
Brown’s 3 with 7:53 to go made it 70-60 and Oklahoma led by double digits for the remainder.
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