Gamecocks grind out crucial SEC win over Tennessee
A few free throws and a crucial charge, and South Carolina men’s basketball had a vital victory Saturday night against the Tennessee Volunteers.
South Carolina forward Maik Kotsar delivered a pair of critical makes from the line to give the Gamecocks their final lead with just 22.4 seconds left. On the other side, Vols star John Fulkerson barreled into USC’s Keyshawn Bryant, and South Carolina was on the way to a 63-61 win at Colonial Life Arena.
“I wasn’t thinking much,” Kotsar said about his final free throws. “I just knew I had to make them. That’s about it.”
In the foul-filled affair, the teams traded baskets and the lead three times in the final 90 seconds.
USC (16-9, 8-4 SEC) took a 59-58 lead on an A.J. Lawson 3-pointer with 1:38 to go and got a stop to follow before losing the ball. The Vols (14-11, 6-6) went ahead again when Fulkerson put in a short shot 23 seconds later.
“We got lucky today,” USC coach Frank Martin said, “but who we are ... saved us today.”
The teams also combined for six turnovers in the final two minutes, four from Tennessee.
South Carolina gained a seven-point lead right out of halftime, its largest of the game, but quickly gave it back with a 10-0 run.
“Hard-fought game as you would expect,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “They finished it the way they wanted to and we didn’t.”
In a game that promised to be physical, there were all the whistles one could ask for.
The foul trouble got bad enough that USC’s Alanzo Frink and Wildens Leveque were sidelined early in the second half with four apiece. Walk-on Nathan Nelson ended up playing a nine minutes in the competitive portion of the game (he had only 14 total minutes to that point in the season).
South Carolina finished 19 of 32 from the line, while Tennessee was 17 of 28. There were 52 total fouls called.
Kotsar, a 64.5 percent free throw shooter this season, finished with a team-high 13 points, four by hitting his last four free throws in the final minute. Jermaine Couisnard added 12.
Fulkerson had 25 of his team’s 61 points.
The opening 20 minutes were a grind, to say the least. The teams combined for 28 fouls and 31 free throws, 17 of which were made. Gamecocks starters Frink and Bryant were sidelined for long stretches with foul trouble.
South Carolina came into the game winners of five out of six games and tied for fourth in the SEC. They travel to Mississippi State at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Note:
▪ Former Gamecocks Sindarius Thornwell, P.J. Dozier, Chris Silva and Tre Kelley were in the building. Dozier’s presence was notable as two days prior the team received an NCAA notice of allegations related to his recruitment, though it made no reference to any wrongdoing by him.
▪ Forward Jalyn McCreary was not on the bench in the second half.
South Carolina Tennessee basketball box score
TENNESSEE (14-11): Fulkerson 8-12 9-14 25, Bowden 1-7 3-3 5, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Vescovi 2-8 1-3 7, Pons 6-10 1-2 13, James 3-8 1-2 9, Gaines 0-0 2-4 2, Nkamhoua 0-1 0-0 0, Pember 0-0 0-0 0, Plavsic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-47 17-28 61.
SOUTH CAROLINA (16-9): Bryant 1-4 0-0 2, Frink 0-1 0-2 0, Kotsar 3-9 7-8 13, Couisnard 2-6 7-11 12, Lawson 3-8 2-4 9, Bolden 3-8 0-0 8, Hannibal 3-6 2-2 8, McCreary 4-5 0-2 8, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0, Leveque 1-2 1-3 3, Moss 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-50 19-32 63.
Halftime—South Carolina 30-29. 3-Point Goals—Tennessee 4-14 (James 2-3, Vescovi 2-5, Johnson 0-1, Nkamhoua 0-1, Pons 0-1, Bowden 0-3), South Carolina 4-13 (Bolden 2-5, Couisnard 1-3, Lawson 1-4, Moss 0-1). Rebounds—Tennessee 30 (Fulkerson 9), South Carolina 30 (Kotsar 8). Assists—Tennessee 15 (Vescovi, James 5), South Carolina 6 (Kotsar, Hannibal 2). Total Fouls—Tennessee 28, South Carolina 24. A—15,085 (18,000).
