Cooper guides South Carolina to a 70-43 victory over Elon
AP
Dec 23, 2023
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Ta'Lon Cooper scored 20 points to lead South Carolina Gamecocks to a 70-43 victory over Elon Phoenix on Friday night.
South Carolina has won four in a row and is off to an 11-1 start for the fourth time in program history. The Gamecocks have won eight straight at home, their longest streak since a 13-game run during the 2015-16 season.
Cooper made 8 of 12 shots with four 3-pointers for the Gamecocks. He added six rebounds and three assists. Myles Stute finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Jacobi Wright scored 10 with three assists. Freshman Collin Murray-Boyles scored a season-best 10 points off the bench.
Wright had eight points, Cooper scored seven and the pair accounted for half of South Carolina's output in building a 30-20 lead at halftime. The Gamecocks shot 39.3% and made just 2 of 13 from 3-point range (15.4%). Elon shot 26.7% and hit 2 of 8 from distance.
Sam Sherry led the Phoenix (6-6) with 12 points, while Max Mackinnon scored 11.
South Carolina shot 41.3% overall and made 8 of 30 from beyond the arc (26.7%). Elon shot 32% and missed all six of its second-half shots from distance.
The Gamecocks snapped a two-game skid against the Phoenix, losing 65-53 at home in the last meeting in November 2012. They lead the series 3-2.
South Carolina’s only loss this season was a 72-67 setback at Clemson, which was ranked 24th at the time.
South Carolina will host Florida A&M on Dec. 30.
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1st Half
ELON
Phoenix
20
SCAR
Gamecocks
30
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Phoenix gains possession)
19:40
Max Mackinnon misses three point jump shot
19:38
Phoenix offensive rebound
19:38
Jacobi Wright personal foul
19:10
+2
Max Mackinnon makes two point jump shot
2-0
18:52
TK Simpkins shooting foul (Stephen Clark draws the foul)
18:52
Stephen Clark misses regular free throw 1 of 2
18:52
+1
Stephen Clark makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-1
18:37
Sam Sherry misses two point hook shot
18:35
Stephen Clark defensive rebound
18:26
Myles Stute misses three point jump shot
18:24
B.J. Mack offensive rebound
18:12
Myles Stute misses three point jump shot
18:10
Deandre Smart defensive rebound
17:55
TK Simpkins misses two point jump shot
17:53
Myles Stute defensive rebound
17:44
B.J. Mack misses three point jump shot
17:42
Max Mackinnon defensive rebound
17:31
+3
Sam Sherry makes three point jump shot (Max Mackinnon assists)
5-1
17:05
Stephen Clark misses two point reverse layup
17:03
Phoenix defensive rebound
16:39
TK Simpkins misses two point jump shot
16:37
Deandre Smart offensive rebound
16:34
Deandre Smart misses two point layup
16:32
Jacobi Wright defensive rebound
16:21
+3
Ta'Lon Cooper makes three point jump shot (B.J. Mack assists)
5-4
15:59
TK Simpkins turnover (traveling)
15:59
TV timeout
15:50
Rob Higgins personal foul (Zachary Davis draws the foul)
15:48
Collin Murray-Boyles misses two point jump shot
15:46
TK Simpkins defensive rebound
15:38
+2
Rob Higgins makes two point jump shot
7-4
15:18
+2
Ta'Lon Cooper makes two point layup
7-6
14:50
Rob Higgins misses two point jump shot
14:48
Jacobi Wright defensive rebound
14:39
Ta'Lon Cooper misses three point jump shot
14:37
TK Simpkins defensive rebound
14:33
TK Simpkins misses two point layup
14:31
Gamecocks defensive rebound
14:12
+3
Zachary Davis makes three point jump shot (Ta'Lon Cooper assists)
7-9
13:54
Morris Ugusuk personal foul (LA Pratt draws the foul)
13:35
LA Pratt misses three point jump shot
13:33
Zachary Davis defensive rebound
13:13
Morris Ugusuk misses three point jump shot
13:11
Phoenix defensive rebound
12:46
Nick Dorn misses two point jump shot
12:44
Morris Ugusuk defensive rebound
12:20
Ta'Lon Cooper turnover (lost ball) (LA Pratt steals)
12:14
LA Pratt misses two point layup
12:12
Kendall Campbell offensive rebound
12:09
+2
Kendall Campbell makes two point layup
9-9
11:56
B.J. Mack misses two point jump shot
11:54
B.J. Mack offensive rebound
11:51
+2
B.J. Mack makes two point layup
9-11
11:37
Nick Dorn misses three point jump shot
11:35
Gamecocks defensive rebound
11:34
TV timeout
11:07
+2
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk makes two point layup
9-13
10:34
+3
LA Pratt makes three point jump shot (Max Mackinnon assists)
12-13
10:15
Morris Ugusuk misses three point jump shot
10:13
LA Pratt defensive rebound
9:53
+2
Max Mackinnon makes two point layup (LA Pratt assists)
14-13
9:21
+2
Ta'Lon Cooper makes two point jump shot
14-15
9:06
LA Pratt misses two point layup
9:04
Sam Sherry offensive rebound
9:01
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk shooting foul (Sam Sherry draws the foul)
9:01
Sam Sherry misses regular free throw 1 of 2
9:01
+1
Sam Sherry makes regular free throw 2 of 2
15-15
8:52
Collin Murray-Boyles offensive foul
8:52
Collin Murray-Boyles turnover (offensive foul)
8:37
Myles Stute shooting foul (Max Mackinnon draws the foul)
8:37
Max Mackinnon misses regular free throw 1 of 2
8:37
+1
Max Mackinnon makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-15
8:19
Deandre Smart shooting foul (Jacobi Wright draws the foul)
8:19
+1
Jacobi Wright makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-16
8:19
+1
Jacobi Wright makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-17
8:04
Max Mackinnon misses two point fadeaway jump shot
8:02
Deandre Smart offensive rebound
7:57
Phoenix 30 second timeout
7:57
TV timeout
7:51
Sam Sherry offensive foul
7:51
Sam Sherry turnover (offensive foul)
7:34
Morris Ugusuk turnover (traveling)
7:23
B.J. Mack personal foul (Sam Sherry draws the foul)
7:21
TK Simpkins misses two point jump shot
7:19
Myles Stute defensive rebound
7:11
Jacobi Wright misses three point jump shot
7:09
Collin Murray-Boyles offensive rebound
6:57
Myles Stute misses two point stepback jump shot
6:55
Gamecocks offensive rebound
6:52
B.J. Mack turnover (traveling)
6:46
Zac Ervin turnover (bad pass)
6:32
Jacobi Wright misses three point jump shot
6:30
Ta'Lon Cooper offensive rebound
6:24
+2
B.J. Mack makes two point jump shot
16-19
6:00
TK Simpkins misses two point jump shot
5:58
Zac Ervin offensive rebound
5:44
+2
Rob Higgins makes two point turnaround jump shot
18-19
5:28
+2
Jacobi Wright makes two point layup (Collin Murray-Boyles assists)
18-21
5:18
Kendall Campbell offensive foul (Jacobi Wright draws the foul)
5:18
Kendall Campbell turnover (offensive foul)
5:01
+2
Collin Murray-Boyles makes two point layup (Ta'Lon Cooper assists)
18-23
4:46
Sam Sherry misses two point dunk
4:44
Myles Stute defensive rebound
4:34
Sam Sherry shooting foul (Collin Murray-Boyles draws the foul)
4:34
+1
Collin Murray-Boyles makes regular free throw 1 of 2
18-24
4:34
Collin Murray-Boyles misses regular free throw 2 of 2
