KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ta’Lon Cooper hit a critical 3-pointer with 40 seconds left and scored 18 points, and B.J. Mack added 16 points to lead South Carolina to a 63-59 victory over No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday night.
Myles Stute scored 13 points for the Gamecocks (18-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), who have beaten the conference's two highest-ranked teams. They knocked off No. 10 Kentucky on Jan. 23.
‘’(The players) have a lot of respect,’’ Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris said. ‘’They have a lot of believers. They’re a confident group.’’
The victory was South Carolina's first road win over a top-5 team since 1997.
''Our group just battled,'' Paris said. ''We really had success breaking down some action plans: block out and rebound; take care of the ball.''
Dalton Knecht scored 12 points in the final three minutes and finished with 31 points, and Santiago Vescovi added 10 points for the Volunteers (15-5, 5-2), who had won four straight games and 11 of their last 12 entering the game.
Tennessee had its lowest point total of the season.
''(South Carolina) scored 63,'' Vols coach Rick Barnes said. ''Our goal is to keep our opponent under 69. We were not a very good offensive team.''