LEXINGTON, Ky. — Otega Oweh scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and No. 14 Kentucky snapped a two-game skid with an 80-57 win over South Carolina on Saturday.
Brandon Garrison came off the bench and scored 15 points for Kentucky (16-7, 5-5 in the Southeastern Conference), which won at home after losses to No. 4 Alabama (Jan. 18) and Arkansas (Feb. 1).
The Wildcats also welcomed back Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, who were both working their way back from injuries. Butler, who had been out with a shoulder issue since Jan. 25, scored eight points and provided a much needed defensive lift Saturday for Kentucky, which had given up an average of 93.5 points in consecutive games in his absence. Robinson, who injured his wrist in practice on Friday, chipped in with six points, four assists and five rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Collin Murray-Boyles scored 14 points for South Carolina (10-13, 0-10), which dropped its 10th straight game and remained winless in conference play.
The Gamecocks struggled offensively and went through a seven-minute stretch over both halves without a field goal. They made three free throws during that stretch and were 4 for 22 from 3-point range.
Despite their offensive struggles, South Carolina cut Kentucky’s lead to nine at 50-41 on Murray-Boyles’ layup with 10:30 left in the second half. But, Oweh hit a 3-pointer and converted a steal into a dunk to start a 15-0 run and push the lead to 20 points, putting the Gamecocks away in the process.
South Carolina next hosts Mississippi on Wednesday, while Kentucky hosts No. 4 Tennessee on Tuesday.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.