COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jaylen Smith scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and North Florida rallied for a 74-71 victory over South Carolina in a season opener on Monday night.
North Florida trailed 36-31 at halftime and by five at 64-59 with 4:07 left to play after a layup by South Carolina’s Jacobi Wright. But Smith made two free throws, Kamrin Oriol and Jasai Miles hit 3-pointers, and Smith followed with a layup to cap a 10-2 run and put the Ospreys up 69-66 with 42 seconds to go.
Nate Lliteras hit both ends of a 1-and-1 and Smith added a three-point play with 9 seconds remaining to help North Florida hold on for the victory.
Liam Murphy hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 off the bench, adding six rebounds for the Ospreys. Lliters finished with 13 points and five boards. Miles totaled 11 points and nine rebounds. Oriol scored nine on 3-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
Preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection Collin Murray-Boyles had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Gamecocks. Zachary Davis, Jamarii Thomas and Wright, a reserve, all scored 12. Freshman Cam Scott, a homegrown product and two-time Gatorade player of the year in the state, debuted with six points and four rebounds in 21 minutes.
The only other time North Florida opened its season against South Carolina was in 2014. The Ospreys lost 81-56 but went on to win the Atlantic Sun Conference championship.
South Carolina coach Lamont Paris, the reigning coach of the year in the SEC, falls to 2-1 in season openers.
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