An 18-1 run to start the second half spelled doom for the South Carolina men’s basketball team on Tuesday as Arkansas rallied for a 75-59 win over the Gamecocks in Fayetteville.
Trailing 40-33 at the break, the Razorbacks shot 50% from the field in the final twenty minutes, while outscoring USC 42-19 to post the victory. With the loss, South Carolina fell to 10-7 overall and their third straight SEC setback dropped the Gamecocks to 1-4 in the league. Arkansas improved to 13-5 and 3-3 in the SEC.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with neither team enjoying more than a five-point lead. However, USC outscored Arkansas 9-2 the final two minutes of the frame to grab a seven-point halftime advantage. Devin Carter, making his first start of the season for the Gamecocks, scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in that opening half. James Reese chipped in ten to help keep Arkansas at bay.
However, the problems that have plagued the Gamecocks throughout the season boiled to the surface once again. USC turned the basketball over eighteen times, while continuing to try and play defense by fouling. Twenty-two whistles produced a 27-of-33 night from the free throw line for the Razorbacks. Arkansas also placed four players in double-figures with Jaylen Williams notching a team-high nineteen to go along with nine rebounds.
One bright spot in the loss was Carolina’s three-point defense. Arkansas missed all eleven of its three-point attempts, marking the first time in 1,093 games that the Razorbacks failed to record at least one made three-point shot.
USC returns home on Saturday to host Georgia at 3:30pm on the SEC Network.
16 points, well it could have been worse coach… Yet another Loss towards making a long overdue change at HC.
This year’s team could very well be worse than last season, if that’s possible.