COLUMBIA, S.C. (Nov. 4, 2025) — South Carolina opened its 2025–26 season in convincing fashion Tuesday night, using a hot first half and balanced scoring attack to defeat North Carolina A&T 91–72 at Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks (1–0) shot nearly 50 percent from the field, connecting on 14 of 32 from beyond the arc, including seven triples in each half. Nordin Kapic led the way with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-5 from deep. Meechie Johnson added 14 points and four assists, while freshman Elijah Strong impressed off the bench with 11 points in just 13 minutes.
Kobe Knox and Eli Ellis also scored in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively, as 11 Gamecocks found the scoring column. South Carolina’s bench outscored the Aggies 39–25 and the team held a 40–31 advantage on the boards.
South Carolina set the tone early, jumping out to a 46–28 halftime lead behind 59 percent shooting and relentless perimeter pressure that forced 12 turnovers. The Gamecocks led by as many as 28 in the second half and cruised the rest of the way, despite a late A&T run that trimmed the margin slightly in the closing minutes.
Lureon Walker paced North Carolina A&T (0–1) with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Lewis Walker chipped in 16 points and six free throws, while Trent Middleton Jr. added 10 points and three assists.
The Aggies shot 43 percent from the field and 36 percent from three but struggled to slow South Carolina’s spacing and transition play. A&T trailed by double digits for the final 25 minutes and was outscored 13–5 on second-chance points.
South Carolina will host Southern Miss on Sunday night at 6:30pm.