COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Carlos Powell scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds as South Carolina beat Winthrop 62-52 on Wednesday night.
The Gamecocks (2-0) were down 19-10 before forcing seven straight turnovers to spark a 32-6 run that lasted into the second half.
But the Eagles (2-2) then went on an 18-2 run after South Carolina point guard Tre Kelley left to get stitches over his left eye after being hit with an elbow.
A 3-pointer by Brandon Key and a three-point play by Craig Bradshaw cut Winthrop's deficit to 44-43 with 10 minutes to go.
Powell would score the next eight points for South Carolina, but the Eagles stayed close until Tarence Kinsey's 3-pointer with just over five minutes to go gave the Gamecocks a 53-49 lead.
Winthrop wouldn't get within a basket for the rest of the game.
Kinsey added 15 points for South Carolina.
Torrell Martin led Winthrop with 13 points while Phillip Williams added 12 points and eight rebounds.
South Carolina shot 45.1 percent (23-for-51) for the game, but was just 2-of-16 (12.5 percent) from behind the arc. Winthrop shot 40 percent from the field (20-of-50) and 36.8 percent (7-of-19) on 3-pointers.
The Eagles, who were playing their fourth game in six days after returning from the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands, have never beaten South Carolina in four tries.
The Gamecocks have won 27 of their 28 home nonconference games under fourth-year coach Dave Odom.
