Gamecocks pull out comeback victory at WKU in double overtime
Prior to USC’s contest against Western Kentucky, coach Darrin Horn expressed some concern about how his Gamecocks would match up against the Hilltoppers.
“The scary thing about their team is they have a lot of guys that can really play,” said Horn, who called WKU home for much of his basketball career — playing for WKU from 1991-95 and coaching the Hilltoppers from 2003-08. “They’re undersized but athletic. Those guys can put it on the perimeter and score on the floor. It’s a tough place to play. It has been for 50 years. It’s exactly the kind of challenge that we need right now for our team.” Carolina rose to the challenge with a thrilling 87-85 win in double overtime, improving its record on the season to 4-1 and increase its win streak to three. USC trailed by 12 points after the first half but came back to tie the game on a 3-pointer by freshman Bruce Ellington with 20.7 seconds left in regulation. Ellington finished the night with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore Ramon Galloway led the team with 22 points. Seven of them came in the second overtime.
“I think the way we won is huge because we have a young team, and both [Ellington and Galloway] are at South Carolina because of what you saw tonight,” said Horn. “Not only can they play, but they have tremendous heart, great toughness and pride, and that is what we want to build our program around.
“They are guys that if you give them a challenge, they are going to rise to it. I wasn’t surprised by it, but glad to see it.”
The Gamecocks struggled to make shots early in the game, finishing the first half with a field goal percentage of 30.3. In the second half, USC improved to 40 percent, including six-of-10 from 3-point range. Ellington and Galloway each made three three-pointers on the night.
“I felt like Western Kentucky played really well in the first half, made some shots and looked better than they had recently,” Horn said. “I told our guys that [this] is the best they’ve played; we don’t feel like we’ve played well. We just have to settle down, and, you know, it’s a 40-minute game. We told them that from the beginning.”
Earlier last week, the Gamecocks hosted USC Upstate, defeating the Spartans 57-41. The Gamecocks led by just two points at halftime, but a 14-0 run in the second half allowed them to take control of the game.
Neither team could find a rhythm on offense throughout the night, but Horn praised Carolina’s defensive effort. The Gamecocks dominated the Spartans at the boards, winning the rebounding battle 55 to 34.
“I wasn’t overly concerned about our offense tonight,” Horn said. “For this team to be its best, we have to be committed to defending and rebounding no matter what happens. The fact that we did that for 40 minutes tonight was a step for our team without a question.”
USC returns to action on Wednesday night, hosting Delaware State at 7 p.m.