What went wrong in South Carolina’s home loss to Ole Miss
For the first time in a trying, stop-and-start season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team had the chance to play for an extended period at home.
The Gamecocks have spent more than a week playing and practicing at Colonial Life Arena after spending most of December and much of January in COVID-19 purgatory. After a thrilling road upset of a then-No. 22 Florida team on Feb. 3, a three-game homestand felt like an opportunity for USC to build momentum.
Instead, the Gamecocks lost all three games.
USC fell to Ole Miss, 81-74, on Saturday night to drop its third straight home game and fall to 5-9 (3-7 SEC) on the season.
3 Observations from USC-Ole Miss
1. Lack of offensive execution
Sloppy ball-handling has been an issue for South Carolina over the last few games, with Martin saying repeatedly the Gamecocks need to take better care of the ball.
On Saturday, in the first half alone, the Gamecocks turned the ball over 11 times. And they added seven more turnovers in the second half as the Rebels pulled away.
Ole Miss entered the contest ranking second in the SEC in defensive scoring with 63.2 points allowed per game and 17th in the country in defensive efficiency in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. The Rebels play a physical style of defense, and the Gamecocks struggled to play through contact and work the ball inside, scoring just six points in the paint in the first half.
After South Carolina botched its final possession in a three-point loss to No. 11 Alabama on Tuesday, Martin stressed the importance for his team to get on the same page offensively. But the Gamecocks again appeared disjointed, especially in the first half, where they shot 37% from the field and made just 3 of 11 3-point attempts.
As he has in the majority of games this season, junior guard A.J. Lawson finished as the team’s leading scorer, with 22 points. Sophomore forward Wildens Leveque was another offensive bright spot with a season-high 13 points.
2. Couisnard goes down
Sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard played just eight minutes Saturday before landing awkwardly on his left ankle while trying to score near the basket.
In clear pain, Couisnard slapped the court floor out of frustration and needed assistance walking into the locker room. He was able to put some weight on his ankle, but he held his foot in the air as he neared the locker room.
The team’s starting two-guard, Couisnard has struggled shooting the ball in recent games, shooting a combined 8 for 40 (20%) in his last four games prior to Saturday, including just 3 of 17 from deep.
Despite his struggles, Martin has continued to start Couisnard, saying the guard has developed into one of the team’s most vocal leaders. Forward Keyshawn Bryant replaced Couisnard in the starting five in the second half.
Forward Justin Minaya also went down with an injury late in the second half but was able to walk off the court under his own power.
3. Gamecocks can’t stop Shuler
An Irmo native, Ole Miss senior guard Devontae Shuler thrived in his hometown arena, dicing up the Gamecock defense for a game-high 31 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He sunk 2 of 5 3-pointers and added five rebounds and four assists. However, he did turn the ball over seven times.
Overall, Ole Miss shot 50% from the field, compared to 42% for the Gamecocks. The Rebels did much of their damage from the free-throw line, where they made 34 of 44 attempts.
Next USC basketball game
Who: South Carolina (5-9, 3-7 SEC) at No. 16 Tennessee (14-5, 7-5)
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.
When: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday
Watch: SEC Network
