Meechie Johnson scored 14 points in his first game back with South Carolina after a year away and the Gamecocks used balanced scoring in a 91-72 victory against North Carolina A&T on Tuesday night in Columbia, S.C.
Nordin Kapic had 13 points, Kobe Knox notched 12 points and Elijah Strong and Eli Ellis each scored 11 points in a comfortable season opener for South Carolina.
Johnson, who played last season for Ohio State before returning to the Gamecocks, shot 5-for-13 from the field, but he was one of four players on the team with at least a pair of 3-point baskets. He made his 63rd career start for South Carolina.
Lureon Walker’s 22 points and Lewis Walker’s 16 points led the Aggies. Trent Middleton Jr. added 10 points.
N.C. A&T, which shot 43.4 percent from the floor, had a major roster makeover after suspensions tarnished last season, so it might take time for the Aggies to get into sync. They’re missing their top five scorers from last season, yet they were content to try to get the ball inside in the season’s first game, launching only 11 shots from 3-point range despite their deficit.
Meanwhile, the Gamecocks were 14-for 32 from beyond the arc. Eleven players made at least one field goal for South Carolina.
Amadou Doumbia competed hard in the lane and pulled in a game-high 10 rebounds for N.C. A&T.
Ellis and Christ Essandoko made 3-pointers during a 9-0 run for the Gamecocks that created a 32-20 edge.
South Carolina led 46-28 at halftime, making 59.3 percent of its shots. The Aggies didn’t have much of a chance for a comeback by scoring only 10 points in the first six minutes of the second half.
Johnson’s 3-pointer stretched the gap to 61-40 at the beginning of an 11-2 spurt for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina committed 13 turnovers, while North Carolina A&T turned the ball over 12 times.
