Basketball coaches don’t normally give out game balls following a big performance. If they did, USC head coach Lamont Paris would have an easy choice on Friday. Reserve forward Elijah Strong scored a team-high 22 points, 20 of which came in the second half, to help the Gamecocks shake off a slow start and dispatch Charleston Southern 74-62 in front of an announced crowd of 9,789 on “Black Friday” at the Colonial Life Arena.
Both teams appeared to be suffering from a Thanksgiving hangover in the first twenty minutes, shooting a combined 23-of-67 from the floor (34%) and just 6-of-27 from three (22%). The Gamecocks were able to slog out a 20-11 lead before the Bucs ripped off ten straight to move in front 21-20 with 6:19 remaining in the first half. The squads traded buckets over the final six minutes, with USC grabbing a 30-28 advantage at halftime.
After the break, Paris unleashed his secret weapon on the Bucs: Elijah Strong. The Boston College transfer scored twenty points in the final eleven minutes to notch a season high and put the Gamecocks on his broad shoulders. Amazingly, all of his production came in just sixteen minutes off the bench. Junior guard Brycen Blaine led CSU with a game-high 23 points.
Next Tuesday, USC will host Virginia Tech in the SEC/ACC challenge. Tipoff is set for 7pm at the CLA.