Torrence Watson scored 20 points off the bench, including a pair of crucial 3-pointers, and Missouri never trailed in a 78-63 Southeastern Conference victory over South Carolina on Saturday at Columbia, Mo.

The Tigers (13-15, 4-12 SEC) led by as many as 13 points in the second half before the Gamecocks cut the deficit to four with just under six minutes to go.

But Missouri had an answer with Watson connecting on 3-point jumpers on consecutive Tigers possessions. Reed Nikko's dunk pushed the lead back to 10 with 3:54 remaining in the game.

South Carolina did not get any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Kevin Puryear finished with 18 points for Missouri, which also got 15 points from Jordan Geist.

Hassani Gravett led the Gamecocks with 20. Keyshawn Bryant added 15 and Chris Silva 12 for South Carolina (14-15, 9-7), which lost its third straight game.

With the victory, the Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Gamecocks were without A.J. Lawson, and his 13.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, after the freshman sprained his left ankle Tuesday night against Alabama.

The Gamecocks came into Saturday's play leading the SEC in 3-point field-goal percentage in league play at 40.9 percent. Missouri's defense held the Gamecocks to just 3 of 14 (21.4 percent) from beyond the arc.

Missouri took control early and South Carolina stayed close enough to trail by just four points at halftime after shooting just 33 percent from the field.

In the first half, the Tigers attempted just five shots from 3-point range, making only one. The Tigers weren't much better, connection on 3 of 12 from 3-point range.

The Tigers took an 18-9 lead at the 10:27 mark on a pair of free throws from Puryear.

Silva cut the South Carolina deficit to one at 22-21 on a pair of free throws but Puryear hit two more free throws and Watson's 3-pointer pushed the lead back to six.

Missouri avenged an 85-75 loss earlier in the season against South Carolina. In that game, five Gamecocks scored in double figures and Watson was held to just seven points.

--Field Level Media