Downey scores 33 as Gamecocks come back in second half to beat Bulldogs 78-77

Downey helps South Carolina rally past Georgia

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Devan Downey had 33 points including the driving basket with 50 seconds left that gave South Carolina a 78-77 victory over Georgia on Saturday night.

The Gamecocks (13-8, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) trailed 63-54 with less than 10 minutes remaining and, except for Downey, didn’t look anything like the club that took down No. 1 Kentucky 68-62 four nights earlier.

That’s when Downey took control, scoring half of South Carolina’s 24 points the rest of the way.

Georgia (9-10, 1-5) had a chance to tie or move ahead in the final seconds. But Dustin Ware missed the first of one-and-one foul shots with 3.5 seconds left and South Carolina rebounded to hold on.

Travis Leslie had 21 points to lead the Bulldogs, who have lost their last three games to South Carolina.

Downey, the SEC’s leading scorer, has hit for 30 or more points in five of his seven league games this season.