Feb. 25, 2006

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Dan Cage scored 13 points and Vanderbilt rallied from a nine-point deficit to beat South Carolina 57-56 on Saturday.

The Gamecocks' Tarence Kinsey missed an 18-foot jumper just before the buzzer, and South Carolina (14-13, 5-9 Southeastern Conference) lost by one for the second consecutive game.

The Gamecocks were up 50-41 with 6:40 left, but Vanderbilt (14-13, 5-9) hit four 3-pointers and went on a 16-4 run. The Commodores were just 2-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half.

Cage hit back-to-back 3s in less than one minute and Derrick Byars scored on a layup to give Vanderbilt a 57-54 lead with 1:36 left. Shan Foster, who was averaging 16.5 points a game, had 11 points.

After Kinsey hit two foul shots with 1:02 left, the Commodores turned it over with 25.8 seconds remaining, setting up the Gamecocks final shot. Actually, South Carolina got two shots - Kinsey missed a 3 with about seven seconds left then he failed to hit the rim from the corner just before the buzzer.

Kinsey was 3-for-13 for 10 points and had seven rebounds. Though the senior had poor day shooting, he did become the 38th player at South Carolina to score 1,000 points. Tre Kelley added 13 points and five assists.

Kelley's layup beat the buzzer and gave South Carolina a 28-27 halftime lead, halting Vanderbilt's 17-4 surge that erased a 12-point deficit.

With the score tied at 32, South Carolina scored nine straight points, and led 41-32 lead on Kelley's layup with 13:44 left. The Commodores pulled within four moments later on one of two foul shots by Foster but could get no closer until less than five minutes remained.