Strong second half pushes Carolina past Tigers in Baton Rouge
With 7:11 left to play in the game and a 57-44 advantage over LSU, South Carolina had all but assured a victory it desperately needed.
The Tigers threatened with a 9-0 run, but when freshman Ralston Turner fouled out with 3:52 remaining, Carolina closed out the game convincingly, winning 64-56 for its first victory in Baton Rouge since 2001.
Turner, who entered the week averaging 13.1 points per game, was held to just two on the night by the Gamecock defense.
Coming from two consecutive losses, USC got off to a slow start against LSU, taking almost three full minutes to score its first points. But the Gamecocks gradually built a four-point edge at halftime into a convincing lead.
The Gamecocks received a boost from the return of sophomore forward Lakeem Jackson, who totaled four points while contributing eight rebounds and four assists. The offense was led by freshman point guard Bruce Ellington, who played 36 minutes and scored 20 points, including three 3-pointers.
Junior Malik Cooke was Carolina’s other double-digit scorer, providing 12 points off the bench in 23 minutes of play. Brian Richardson brought a spark off the bench as well with eight points on the night. Ramon Galloway started at forward, contributing nine points and five rebounds.
Proving to be a big difference, however, was Carolina’s ability to shoot free throws when it counted, making 14 of 17 on the night. The Gamecocks also outrebounded LSU 34-33.
Carolina’s defense was also a major factor in the win, preventing LSU from scoring for over five minutes and holding the Tigers to just 35.3 percent shooting on the night. With 23 defensive rebounds, USC effectively stifled LSU’s ability to get second-chance points and showed the energy that was lacking in its two recent losses.
The win puts the Gamecocks back over .500 in SEC play with a record of 4-3. They’ll look to extend their road-winning streak when they take on Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon.