COLUMBIA (Interstat) — South Carolina used an early 3-point barrage and a balanced offensive effort to pull away from Saint Peter’s for a 77-41 men’s NCAA Division I victory on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena. Attendance was 11,456. The Gamecocks improved to 3-0, while the Peacocks fell to 0-4. Marcus Johnson led South Carolina with 20 points, three rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes.

The decisive stretch came early. Ken Walker opened the scoring for Saint Peter’s with a stepback jump shot, but Aleksas Bieliauskas answered with a 3-point field goal and then another 3-point jump shot on consecutive South Carolina possessions. Xavier Thomas made a 3-pointer for the Peacocks, but Bieliauskas hit a third 3-pointer, Juan Fernández converted a driving layup and free throw, and Shane Blakeney made a 3-point jump shot as South Carolina moved ahead 15-5 with 14:41 remaining in the first half. Thomas tried to keep Saint Peter’s close with a stepback jumper, and Jonathan Noudjihidi added a stepback jump shot, but the Gamecocks kept answering. Blakeney made free throws, Davion Hannah made free throws, Marcus Johnson made free throws, and Bryce Eaton hit a pullup jumper for the Peacocks before South Carolina pulled away. Jakub Nečas added two late first-half 3-point field goals for the Gamecocks, and Johnson made a driving layup and a free throw before Fernández closed the first-half scoring with a 3-point field goal.

South Carolina scored 40 first-half points to Saint Peter’s 24 and then outscored the Peacocks 37-17 after halftime. Johnson opened the second half with a driving layup, a 3-point jump shot and a free throw, then added two more free throws as the Gamecocks stretched their cushion. Hugo López contributed a hook shot, a layup and a three-point play during another South Carolina run, and Davion Hannah finished at the rim with a dunk and later added a hook shot. Hayden Assemian made a dunk and closed the scoring with a turnaround jumper. Saint Peter’s got a late 3-point field goal from Eaton and a layup from Jordan Mathews, but those baskets came after South Carolina had already sealed the outcome.

The statistical profile reflected South Carolina’s control. The Gamecocks shot 21 of 45 from the floor, 9 of 15 from three-point range and 26 of 34 from the free throw line. Saint Peter’s shot 14 of 53 overall, 3 of 17 from beyond the arc and 10 of 13 from the line. South Carolina scored 77 points on 67 possessions for an offensive rating of 114.7, while Saint Peter’s scored 41 points on 67 possessions for an offensive rating of 61.0. The Peacocks held a 6-4 edge on the offensive glass, and both teams finished with seven assists. South Carolina blocked four shots to Saint Peter’s seven, committed 10 turnovers to the Peacocks’ 14 and committed 16 fouls to Saint Peter’s 26.

Johnson, the Gamecocks’ top star, produced his 20 points while adding three rebounds and six assists. Hannah added 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block in 21 minutes. Bieliauskas finished with 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 23 minutes. López contributed nine points, five rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes. Blakeney added nine points, two rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. Fernández had eight points, four rebounds and one block in 21 minutes.

For Saint Peter’s, Thomas led the way with 15 points and three rebounds in 29 minutes. Eaton added 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and one block in 21 minutes. Mathews finished with six points, five rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes. Noudjihidi contributed two points, two rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 15 minutes. Ken Walker and Bryson Wilson also scored during the Peacocks’ early efforts, but Saint Peter’s never found consistent offense against South Carolina’s pressure and size.

South Carolina attempted 34 free throws and made 26, while the Peacocks attempted 13 and made 10. The Gamecocks also limited their turnovers and held the Peacocks to 3-of-17 shooting from three-point range. Saint Peter’s blocked seven shots, including three by Noudjihidi, but the Peacocks could not turn those defensive plays into enough offense. South Carolina finished with four offensive rebounds and seven assists, while Saint Peter’s had six offensive rebounds and seven assists.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Carolina 72, Saint Peter’s 67, and its ELO system had given South Carolina a 91 percent probability to win. South Carolina was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -22.5. The total score was 118 against an over/under line of 126.5.