A.J. Lawson achieved a career-high 30 points and made a personal-best 10 shots from the field in South Carolina's 78-54 win Wednesday over Texas A&M in an SEC game at Columbia, S.C.

It was the conference opener for South Carolina, which has played two games in the last 33 days because of five games postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 positive tests within the program.

Lawson was 10 of 22 from the field and 3 of 9 from 3-point range for the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-0 SEC). He hobbled off the court with 5:39 left with a lower-leg injury.

Jermaine Couisnard added 15 points, making 5 of 11 shots from beyond the arc, Wildens Leveque had 10 points, Jalyn McCreary finished with nine rebounds and Justin Minaya had eight.

South Carolina outrebounded Texas A&M 45-31, which enabled the Gamecocks to score 20 second-chance points and 34 in the paint.

The Aggies (6-3, 1-2) committed 19 turnovers that resulted in 21 points for South Carolina.

Texas A&M was led by Emanuel Miller's 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Quenton Jackson finished with 13 points and five assists.

South Carolina outscored Texas 17-5 to take a 55-39 lead with 13:00 remaining in the game. Couisnard made two 3-pointers and Lawson added five points in that pivotal stretch.

Texas A&M went 7:19 without making a field goal, missing six attempts, and had four turnovers at one point in the second half.

The field-goal drought ended with Miller's dunk with 6:42 left. By that time, South Carolina led 64-42.

South Carolina led by as many as 12 points in the first half before taking a 33-27 lead at halftime.

Lawson had 11 points in the first half and three players each scored six for South Carolina -- Couisnard, Minaya and McCreary.

Miller had 17 points at halftime for Texas A&M. He was 7 of 9 from the field while his teammates were 4 of 19.

A 9-0 run by the Aggies, capped by a 3-pointer by Miller, got his team back in the game, cutting South Carolina's lead to 20-17 with 9:34 left in the first half.

--Field Level Media