ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – Frank Booker scored 17 points while making two late 3-pointers and South Carolina withstood Georgia’s strong second-half start to beat the Bulldogs 64-57 on Saturday.

South Carolina (11-6, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) won despite shooting a season-low 27.1 percent from the field. Chris Silva scored 14 points and Hassani Gravett had 11 as the Gamecocks took their first SEC road win.

There were three ties but Georgia (11-5, 2-3) never led while suffering its first home loss of the season after eight wins. It was the Bulldogs’ second straight loss.

Yante Maten led the Bulldogs with 25 points but had too little scoring help, especially from Georgia’s other frontline starters, Derek Ogbeide and freshman Rayshaun Hammonds, who combined for only three points. A short jumper by Maten provided the last tie at 49-all before Booker answered with a quick 3-pointer.

Booker sank another 3 with 1:22 remaining. Powered by two early 3-pointers from Evan Hinson, South Carolina took a 9-2 lead. Georgia pulled even with a 10-2 run to open the second half. Juwan Parker, who had 11 points, was fouled while making a baseline jumper.

Parker made the free throw to tie the game at 39-all. It was the first point of the game where the score was even since 2-2. The Gamecocks regrouped to prevent Georgia from taking the lead. A 3-pointer by Gravett and a basket by Justin Manaya gave South Carolina a 49-43 advantage.

About midway through the second half, Maten crashed into Georgia coach Mark Fox while chasing a loose ball. Fox was knocked back on the sideline, leaving his legs sticking straight up in the air, but he was not hurt and slapped Maten on the back while sending the senior back onto the court.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The Gamecocks made an impressive recovery from a 76-62 loss at Alabama on Tuesday night. It was their second straight win in Athens. They won 67-61 at Georgia last season. … The two early 3s by Hinson and eight points in the first half set career high for a game. He was averaging only 2.7 points per game and had never made more than one 3-pointer in a game. He finished with eight points. … The Gamecocks made 26 of 35 free throws, helping to compensate for the poor field-goal shooting.

Press Release USC Athletic Department