COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jacobi Wright hit four 3-pointers and scored 20, Collin Murray-Boyles finished with 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and South Carolina cruised to an 86-64 victory over South Carolina State on Friday night.
Wright made seven of his 10 shots from the floor, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, for South Carolina (1-1). Murray-Boyles hit 7 of 8 shots and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line, adding four assists. It was the sophomore's first double-double after collecting two — in back-to-back games — last season.
Jamarii Thomas scored 14 on 5-for-8 shooting for the Gamecocks. Zachary Davis pitched in with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Michael Teal had 11 points to lead South Carolina State (1-1). Wilson Dubinsky had 10 points off the bench.
Davis hit a jumper to cap a 7-0 run to begin the game and South Carolina never looked back. Murray-Boyles had 12 points and eight rebounds by halftime to help the Gamecocks take a 41-25 lead into the locker room.
The Bulldogs trimmed their deficit to 11 three minutes into the second half but got no closer.
The Gamecocks are 23-0 in the series. The last time the two schools squared off was in the opener of the 2022-23 season. The Gamecocks held off the Bulldogs 79-77 in head coach Lamont Paris' coaching debut at South Carolina.
Next up for South Carolina is a home game against Towson on Tuesday.
South Carolina State will host Voorhees on Monday.
