CONWAY, S.C. -- Chris Silva scored 15 points and South Carolina had a dominating first-half performance to beat UTEP 80-56 in Friday's consolation bracket of the relocated Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
The Gamecocks (3-1) struggled in Thursday's loss to Illinois State, but they were much sharper against the Miners (1-2). They built a double-digit lead in the first 6 minutes and shot 55 percent in the first half, leading 50-24 by the break and by 32 after halftime.
Matt Willms scored 18 points for UTEP, which hit shots early but undercut any momentum with a constant stream of turnovers.