FINAL: South Carolina Makes Deafening Statement In Win Over No. 6 Kentucky

South Carolina's men's basketball team had a night to remember as they pulled off the upset over the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats.

Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks hosted John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday night in a highly anticipated SEC matchup. The students showed up early and in their black to make it as difficult as possible for Kentucky, and they were loud early and often. Carolina fought hard for the entirety of the game and the fans didn't disappoint either, watching the Gamecocks pull off the upset over Kentucky 80-60

South Carolina did a tremendous job on the defensive side of the ball, holding Kentucky to their lowest point total in any single half at 25 points. Collin Murray-Boyles led the charge defensively, playing by far his best defense of the season with two steals and a block, but he was far more impactful than the stats suggest. On the offensive side of the ball, Jacobi Wright has hit on all three of his shots behind the arc with 9 points, and Ta'Lon Cooper added to it with 8 points of his own.

Collin Murray-Boyles locked in on defense against Arkansas / Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina came out just as aggressive to start the second half in all areas of the game. Offensively, they stayed hot from three, seemingly hitting big shot after big shot to maintain their lead, which at one point got up to 20. Around 10 minutes, the Gamecocks and their fans took over and didn't look back. They were led by arguably the MVP of the game, Ta'Lon Cooper, who continued to make big-time shots on offense and played lights out on the defensive end, finishing the game with 18 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

This was an overall impressive win in more ways than one for Lamont Paris and his staff. He saw many people step up significantly, from freshman Murray-Boyles to Jacobi Wright and Josh Gray, who played valuable minutes. Another great team win for South Carolina as they improve to 16-3 on the season and 4-2 in conference play. 

You Might Also Like:

• INTERVIEW: 2026 Guard Isaac Ellis Talks Playing With Older Brother Eli
• INTEL: Eli Ellis Talks Overtime Elite, 50 Point Night, & Recruiting 2025 Five-star AJ Dybantsa
• Gamecock Basketball Commit Eli Ellis Continues To Impress

Join the community:

• Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC
• Follow Joseph Griffin on Twitter: @JosephGriffinJG
• Follow Locked On Gamecocks on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and our page on Facebook!