Meechie Johnson helps South Carolina hold off Mississippi State, 68-62 in SEC opener

Meechie Johnson had a clutch steal and hit four free throws in the final seconds to allow South Carolina to hold off Mississippi State 68-62 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon. Johnson scored 15 of his team-high 24 points over the final 11 minutes, hitting 8 of 8 from the free throw line with a key steal and an assist to help hold off the Bulldogs. Mississippi State never led in the second half but tied the game at 42 on Dashawn Davis' jumper with 11:51 to play.