Road loss at Vanderbilt puts South Carolina’s NCAA hopes on life support
The home team surged, and it proved too much to overcome for South Carolina’s basketball team.
Frank Martin’s Gamecocks watched a double-digit lead almost slip away by the end of the first half, and a burst to start the second put Vanderbilt ahead for good. The final of 83-74 in the regular season finale likely put South Carolina in sixth place in the final SEC standings after the rest of conference play shook out.
USC (18-13, 10-8 SEC) was on wrong end of a 24-7 run. South Carolina managed to cut the lead down to four points in the late going.
A timeout after the Gamecocks extended the lead proved to be a turning point, as something changed.
“They just physically dominated the game (after the timeout),” Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said in his postgame radio interview. “We had no answer for their physicality. They played tougher and stronger than we did. “
The Gamecocks will return to Nashville next week for the SEC tournament.
Foul trouble was once again a problem, a theme that has dogged the Gamecocks all season. Jermaine Cousinard was saddled with four fouls down most of the stretch and fouled out with 1:29 left and 13 points. Center Maik Kotsar also fouled out.
Overall, the visitors were called for 30 fouls, the second-most for a USC game this season. Vanderbilt (11-20, 3-15) attempted 40 free throws, the fourth time this season a South Carolina opponent has attempted that many.
The Gamecocks had issues corralling guards Maxwell Evans (20 points) and Saben Lee (19 points). Scotty Pippen Jr. ended up with 21 points in the late going after hitting 15 free throws.
USC had one of its better free throw shooting games of the year (76 percent), but connected on only 1 of 13 3-point attempts, missing the final 12.
The early returns from forward Justin Minaya were positive. The redshirt sophomore had four points in a first-half 5-minute stint, his first action after missing nine games following wrist/thumb surgery, hitting a pair of free throws and a layup. He finished with eight points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.
“He gave us energy,” Martin said, admitting he might have played him too much. “One of the few guys who played with toughness at the rim.”
The early going was sloppy but competitive, with five lead changes and five ties in the first 10 minutes. The Gamecocks eventually opened up a lead as large as nine, but Vandy rallied as the foul trouble became an issue.
A.J. Lawson, KeyShawn Bryant, Alanzo Frink, Cousinard and Minaya all found themselves bound to the bench with two fouls to close the half, and the fouling issues that have befuddled the Gamecocks persisted. The visitors committed 14 and Vandy had 17 free throws.
The loss puts a mighty dent in South Carolina’s hopes of building an at-large NCAA tournament case. The defeat Saturday is considered a Quad 3 loss, USC’s second on the year, and means they’ll need to pull at least one upset in Nashville to get to 20 wins.
The Gamecocks entered the day as the eighth team out in Joe Lunardi’s projections on ESPN. To get to the tournament, they’d likely at least need to get to the conference tournament title game, maybe need to win the auto-bid.
“I need to refocus myself and get away from the regular season,” Martin said. “And then come in on Monday and start working.
“You need to be fresh mentally.”
Next
What: South Carolina at SEC Tournament
When: TBA Thursday
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Box score
SOUTH CAROLINA (18-13): Bryant 4-7 5-6 13, Frink 2-5 4-5 8, Kotsar 4-11 0-0 8, Couisnard 6-15 0-0 13, Lawson 2-8 4-4 8, Hannibal 4-6 3-5 11, Bolden 0-4 0-0 0, Minaya 3-3 2-2 8, McCreary 2-3 1-3 5, Leveque 0-0 0-0 0, Moss 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-62 19-25 74.
VANDERBILT (11-20): Disu 5-11 2-4 14, Evans 6-12 5-5 20, Lee 7-16 5-9 19, Pippen 3-6 15-16 21, Albert 1-2 0-0 3, Obinna 0-0 2-2 2, Wright 1-4 2-4 4, Rice 0-2 0-0 0, Jossell 0-0 0-0 0, Jankovic 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 31-40 83.
Halftime—South Carolina 35-33. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 1-13 (Couisnard 1-7, Bolden 0-3, Lawson 0-3), Vanderbilt 6-25 (Evans 3-8, Disu 2-7, Albert 1-2, Pippen 0-1, Rice 0-1, Wright 0-1, Lee 0-5). Fouled Out—Kotsar, Couisnard. Rebounds—South Carolina 34 (Bryant 7), Vanderbilt 34 (Obinna 12). Assists—South Carolina 10 (Kotsar 4), Vanderbilt 13 (Lee, Pippen 4). Total Fouls—South Carolina 30, Vanderbilt 23. A—10,852 (14,316).
