The Daily Gamecock

Kotsar's performance just enough for South Carolina win

All they could do was watch.

Just as they had been for much of the game, Maik Kotsar and Chris Silva were sitting on the bench. The final horn blew, and South Carolina’s two starting big men looked on from the sideline at the scoreboard as it showed all zeros and their team winning 77-75.

For South Carolina, little credit can be offered to any of their big men for the victory over Georgia, especially due to their play in the first half.

Through the first 20 minutes of the game, South Carolina’s big men, which included Sedee Keita and Khadim Gueye, combined for zero points, one rebound, four missed shots and six fouls.

“I challenged our big kids at halftime,” said coach Frank Martin. “I was furious with our big guys.”

This lack of production from the big men in the first half put the Gamecocks in a tough spot. Sindarius Thornwell was forced to guard Yante Maten, Georgia’s 6-8, 240-pound leading scorer, allowing Maten to score 10 points on just six shots in the half.

Georgia was able to out-rebound South Carolina 21-13 through this first period, while also outscoring the Gamecocks in the 15-12 in the paint.Through the course of this, Silva and Kotsar combined to be on the court for just 17 minutes of the half as they both faced early foul trouble.

And the start of the second half was much of the same.

Gamecock fans barely had time to blink between the whistle signaling the start of the second half and Silva’s third foul. Kotsar was not much better. The two big men each picked up their third foul of the game within the first 85 seconds of the second half.

For Silva, his play would not improve in the second half. Hampered by foul trouble that would eventually end his night early, Silva scored just two points and grabbed zero rebounds in 16 minutes of play on the night.

Keita and Gueye followed right in suit, scoring no points and recording no rebounds in 12 minutes of play.

Kotsar, at least, gave just enough in the second half to make up for an otherwise entirely forgettable showing from the South Carolina big men.

He was able to score all seven of his points in the second half and relieve some of the pressure off of the Gamecock guards that otherwise carried the team to victory.

Kotsar pulled in six rebounds and helped limit Maten to just 2-7 shooting from the field in the second period although still struggling with foul trouble.

In the end, Kotsar’s second half performance was just enough.

“We don’t win today without [Kotsar] in the second half,” said Martin. “He was tremendous.”

Despite a first half, where the only stat they seemed able to get was a foul, and a second half that saw three of the four big men doing much of the same, Kotsar’s second-half performance was sufficient enough for South Carolina to beat the Georgia Bulldogs.


Comments