The defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks got a bit of a wake up call on Friday night, unable to sleepwalk through their matchup against the 15th-seeded N.C. A&T Aggies in a 63-52 victory in Columbia.
The game got off a sluggish offensive start for both teams, but the Gamecocks gradually built a 39-21 halftime advantage and looked ready to throw it in cruise control for the second half. The Aggies had other ideas, however, and kicked it into high gear for the fourth quarter: Kala Green, who led A&T with 21 points, hit three 3-pointers to help key a 14-5 run.