COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell had 14 points apiece to lead deeper South Carolina to an 84-69 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks won their 15th straight opener, not that the Spartans made it easy. Norfolk State cut a double-digit lead to 63-58 on Alex Long's two foul shots midway through the second half. But Mindaugas Kacinas followed with a 3-pointer for South Carolina, which eventually stretched things to 15 points in the final minutes.
The Gamecocks entered the season with what coach Frank Martin believes is his deepest, most versatile lineup in his four seasons in charge.