WACO, Texas, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Royce O'Neale and Kenny Chery made late free throws that allowed co-No. 25-ranked Baylor Bears to escape with a 66-64 win Tuesday over South Carolina.
Baylor (2-0) didn't score a field goal in the final 7:15 and survived 22-of-41 free-throw shooting in getting the win.
South Carolina (1-1) didn't have it any better in the late going, tying the score 64-64 when Sidarius Thornwell hit a jump shot with 4:27 left. Those would prove to be the final points for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina went 0-for-5 shooting the rest of the way. Baylor was unable to put the Gamecocks away because over the last 7 minutes the Bears were also 0-for-5 shooting while committing six turnovers and going 3-of-7 from the free-throw line.
The good free throws -- by Taurean Prince with 5:53 to play, by O'Neale with 2:02 left and by Chery with 21 seconds to go -- proved the difference in the game.
Baylor's Brady Heslip hit 5-of-10 3-point shots and ended up with a team-high 18 points. Isaiah Austin added 14 for the Bears. Thornwell led all scored with 20 points.
