FINAL: No. 15 Gamecocks Survive 2nd Half Surge From Ole Miss, Winning 68-65

South Carolina men's basketball team never lost composure in weary second half, hold on to beat Ole Miss Rebels.

After finally breaking into the AP Top 25 and debuting as the 15th-ranked team in the nation, South Carolina hosted Ole Miss in a sellout crowd. While the ranking is fun and shiny, the team knows to keep it there, they have to continue to win. Coming out hot offensively, the Gamecocks never looked back, winning their first game as a Top 25 team, beating Ole Miss 68-65.

The Gamecocks dominated the first half, going on a 14-2 run early on in the game, extending their lead to ten. Neither team was missing for a majority of the first half; late in the half, both teams were shooting over 70%. However, Carolina was hot from the three-point line (7-14) and helped keep South Carolina at a comfortable lead. Over the past several games, Lamont Paris has had his team playing great team ball, and it wasn't any different in the first, with 12 assists on 18 made shots.

Collin Murray-Boyles drives past Mississippi Rebels guard / Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

At the start of the second half, Carolina picked up where they left off, reaching nearly a 20-point lead. However, they would go through a spell of missed shots and taking a couple of defensive possessions off, allowing Ole Miss to bring it within three points with around 7 minutes left to play. While the Rebels continued to throw haymakers, South Carolina survived each one. They never got rattled, finishing the game strong defensively, forcing Ole Miss over four of the game's final minutes without a basket.

Gamecocks find a way to get by the second-half struggles and maintain calm. It wasn't always easy, but fighting adversity shows signs of a strong team from top to bottom. South Carolina will host Vanderbilt next as they will look to continue their winning ways.

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