NASHVILLE -- Coach Dave Odom gave South Carolina a refresher course on protecting the basketball to prepare for the Southeastern Conference tournament. His Gamecocks proved Thursday that they paid close attention.

South Carolina, led by Renado Balkman with 12 points, overcame a sluggish start and had a season-low four turnovers to beat Mississippi State 59-44 in the opening round of the tournament.

"That's a tremendous departure from our recent games," Odom said.

The Gamecocks turned the ball over 16 times in last weekend's victory at Auburn, so Odom focused on managing a game down the stretch and holding onto the ball in getting ready for Mississippi State.

The work paid off, and the Gamecocks (16-14) won their first-round game for the second time in three years.

They next face 14th-ranked Tennessee, the East Division's top seed, in the quarterfinals today. The Vols swept South Carolina, including a 76-69 victory in Columbia in the SEC opener that Odom called a "devastating blow" to the Gamecocks' confidence.

"I know Tennessee is going to prey on the fact we played today. They're fresh," Odom said.

"We're vulnerable to fatigue. They're not. I'm going to prey on the fact we've got the first-game jitters in the tournament out of the way, and maybe they'll be nervous. Maybe they won't. I don't know."

Tarence Kinsey, who along with Tre Kelley had 11 points, said Tennessee's two victories doesn't mean anything now.

"We've got a lot of aggression built up, and the coaches basically put that in our minds (that) we have a chance and you only get one shot in the tournament. You lose, you go home," Kinsey said.