Gamecocks 0-3 in SEC play after 65-79 loss to Gators
For the second straight game, the Gamecocks went from Dr. Jekyll in the first half to Mr. Hyde in the second, as they lost 79-65 to then-No. 19 Florida, despite holding a one-point lead at halftime Saturday night.
South Carolina (8-9, 0-3 SEC) faded against Vanderbilt on Tuesday in a similar fashion, down 10 at halftime and allowing the Commodores to stretch their lead to a 24-point advantage. Against Kentucky, the Gamecocks were also unable to have a complete game, trailing by 16 at the half, but outscoring UK in the second half. USC Coach Darrin Horn described the 0-3 start to league play as a "tale of two halves."
"We were terrific to start the game, throughout the first half and to start the second half we hit one of those lulls for whatever reason," Horn said. "The biggest part of it, without watching film, is that we had a few turnovers and we forced a few things early, and that hurt us and they turned them into baskets. In general we have got to understand that we may have a few lulls and we have to continue to find a way to defend better to give ourselves a better opportunity when that happens."
The Gators (14-4, 2-1 SEC) went on a 19-3 run to start the second half, eliminating any momentum USC had going into halftime. Six players finished in double digits for Florida, though USC point guard Bruce Ellington, who made his first start of the season, led all scorers with 17 points.
"I thought it was really important the first four minutes coming out of the locker room that we got off to a good start," said UF coach Billy Donovan. "I think we got the ball first and scored on our first possession. Then they went on a little bit of a drought there where we were able to extend the lead up to eight, 10, and then into double figures. It's probably a combination of a lot of things in the second half. In the first half they made all those shots, in the second half they didn't make them."
The Gators, who entered the game leading the nation with 183 3-pointers, were 12-for-24 against USC from beyond the arc. Though the Gamecocks were initially able to contend with Florida in a shoot-out, it caught up with the second-to-last scoring offense in the SEC, as the Gamecocks shot 25.8 percent from the field in the second half. Furthermore, USC couldn't account for the offensive performance on the defensive end.
"When the ball is not going in for a long period of time, it is hard to stay at a high level defensively," Horn said. "For us with the really bad match up with the veteran team that has got incredibly skilled (players), passes the ball so well and has so many guys that can shoot the basketball, I thought that in the first part of the second half the issue was that we forced a few, had a couple turnovers, and that just really hurt us. We had a few that we needed to finish around the basket as well. That is something that we have to work on and something that we have to learn to play through as well."
Despite the winless record in conference play, Horn said he hasn't sensed any discouragement in the locker room. Cooke referred to the games as learning experiences for the next time the teams meet this season, saying USC needs to move on to the next opponent. The Gamecocks can only hope that their fortunes in SEC play can reverse as quickly as they have in their first three games.
"Our guys have done a really good job of coming back the next day and getting back to work," Horn said. "It's hard to come out and play like we did to start the game tonight throughout the first half and make the run that we did at the end if that's happening to too great a degree. The challenge is that at some point, you need to see one go in the win column."