Columbia, S.C. – Mario Chalmers’ parents live in Lawrence.

But a horde of other Chalmers family members – aunts, uncles, cousins – live in Charlotte, N.C., and it seems they all were on hand to lend support to Kansas University’s sophomore guard during the Jayhawks’ 70-54 victory over South Carolina on Sunday in Colonial Center.

It’s just an hour-and-a-half drive from Charlotte to the campus of the Southeastern Conference school.

“I was especially motivated. All my family was here today. I had 40 people here total, people who don’t normally get to see me play,” said Chalmers, who lived in North Carolina as a child, prior to moving to Anchorage, Alaska, where he starred in high school.

Chalmers, who scored 19 points with three assists and five steals in 33 minutes, initially helped KU wake up on a day the Jayhawks fell behind, 4-0.

He had five points in a 12-1 surge that gave KU a 12-5 advantage at 12:22. He scored 13 points with four steals the first half as KU took a 32-28 lead into intermission.

“I really don’t know what to say about that,” Chalmers said modestly, asked how he was able to record five thefts in 33 minutes.

Brandon Rush was willing to offer his opinion.

“Mario always plays good defense. He plays the passing lanes,” Rush said.

Chalmers also played team leader, informing the Jayhawks during an early huddle that they needed to play inspired following an early technical foul picked up by coach Bill Self.

“He said it. Julian said it, too. He said, ‘We need to get it now,'” Rush said of Chalmers.

Chalmers wasn’t the only Jayhawk who had loved ones in the stands. Darrell Arthur’s mom made the trip from Dallas with his AAU coach.

“We really focused on this game,” Arthur said of the game that precedes the start of Big 12 play. “Now it’s strictly the conference.”

Arthur hit eight of 12 shots and scored 17 points, busting a 6-of-26 shooting skid over three games.

“I think so. I think so,” Arthur repeated, asked if his little slump was over. “I think it was our team that did a good job today. Sasha (Kaun, six points, six boards second half) is the one who got the rebounds the second half. He was crashing the boards. It made a difference for us.”