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Final Score: Tennessee 63 - South Carolina 55

Columbia, SC (Sports Network) - Bobby Maze scored 14 points to lead a balanced scoring attack, and 20th-ranked Tennessee pulled away in the second half to beat South Carolina, 63-55, at Colonial Life Arena.

Wayne Chism added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Volunteers (20-6, 8-4 SEC), who secured their fifth consecutive 20-win season -- all under the guidance of head coach Bruce Pearl.

"On every night you have to get it from certain players, and on other nights you get it from others," Pearl said. "There are some guys that I expect to come in and play, guys that have been there and done that. And then all we need is a couple of other guys so that it's not going to be the same guy every night to come in and make a difference."

J.P. Prince contributed 10 points and seven rebounds after an 8-for-10 effort from the free throw line, while Scotty Hopson and Kenny Hall each had eight points in the win, Tennessee's second straight.

Brandis Raley-Ross had 16 points to pace the Gamecocks (14-12, 5-7), who have lost three straight and four of five overall. Devan Downey added 15 points, while Lakeem Jackson had 10 for South Carolina, which shot just 31.7 percent from the field and 5-of-26 from three-point range.

"We came into this game knowing it would be tough with Tennessee's talent," said South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn. "With all of the games we've played, we've wanted to put ourselves in position to be there in the last five minutes and to have a chance to make some plays and win the game. With a little over five minutes left, it's a two-possession game, and we were right there."

The Volunteers trailed by three with just over nine minutes to play, but a 17-3 spurt spearheaded by Prince helped Tennesee secure the victory.

After Prince began the run with a couple free throws, Hall put the Vols ahead on a dunk with 8:15 to play. Prince had seven points in total during the run, which Hall ended with a free throw for a 60-49 advantage with 2:20 to play.

South Carolina went 1-for-10 from the field during the seven-minute Volunteer surge in addition to six turnovers. By the time Jackson's jumper fell with 1:54 left, it was too late for a Gamecock comeback.

The teams played tight throughout the first half, with neither team holding more than a six-point lead. Sam Muldrow's jumper with two minutes remaining on the clock gave the Gamecocks a 28-22 lead, but Brian Williams answered with a basket to account for the four-point difference between the teams at halftime.

Tennessee and South Carolina continued to go back-and-forth in the early portion of the second half, and Downey's pair from the line gave the hosts a 46-43 advantage with just over nine minutes remaining.