South Carolina defeats Grand Canyon for tournament title

South Carolina improved to 5-0 behind 27 points from B.J. Mack in a 75-68 victory Sunday night against Grand Canyon in the championship game of the AZ Tipoff Classic at Glendale, Ariz.

The Gamecocks are off to their best start since beginning 8-0 in 2016-17, when they advanced to the Final Four.

Mack scored 21 of his points in the second half.

Myles Stute added 12 points and Jacobi Wright finished with 10 points and three assists.

Gabe McGlothan led Grand Canyon (3-1) with 18 points before fouling out with 15 seconds left.

Grand Canyon’s Duke Brennan made one of two free-throw attempts with 1:51 remaining to cut the lead to 71-66.

After a South Carolina miss, Collin Moore made a jumper in the lane to trim the lead to 71-68 with 1:14 left.

Wright answered with layup, forcing Grand Canyon to call a timeout with 33 seconds remaining.

Tyon Grant-Foster shot an airball from 3-point range and South Carolina gained possession.

Mack made two free throws with 15 seconds left, after getting fouled by McGlothan, to seal the victory.

The Antelopes were 23 of 27 from the free-throw line while South Carolina was 14 of 16.

After South Carolina took a 26-19 lead with 4:14 left in the first half, Grand Canyon answered with seven unanswered points to tie the game.

Ray Harrison was fouled twice after going to the basket after South Carolina committed turnovers and he made all four of the free throws in the run.

Both teams had nine turnovers by halftime, when South Carolina led 30-29.

The Gamecocks went on a 9-2 run at the start of the second half to take a 39-33 lead.

South Carolina built a 56-45 lead with 9:36 left after Grand Canyon made one field goal in a span of almost four minutes.

An 8-2 run by Grand Canyon cut the lead to 61-59 with 5:32 left. Mack responded with six points on his own, including a 3-pointer and a 3-point play, to increase the lead to 67-59 with 4:07 remaining.

Moore’s 3-pointer with 2:30 left trimmed the lead to 69-65 but Wright answered on South Carolina’s subsequent possession with a jumper.

—Field Level Media