Gamecocks sputter on offense in 55-51 loss to Commodores
In a game that went down to the wire despite a struggling South Carolina offense, Vanderbilt was able to escape Colonial Life Arena with a 58-51 victory over the Gamecocks on Saturday.
USC’s offensive woes were apparent throughout the first half, as the team shot just 17.2 percent from the field on its way to just 19 points in the initial 20 minutes of play.
“Making shots is all about being prepared for the game; mentally you have to be ready,” coach Frank Martin said. “And making shots is all about understanding where the shots are going to be and when you crack the defense with what you’re doing ... You have to make the play.”
A second-half improvement to 30-percent shooting for 32 points is what kept South Carolina in the contest.
Point guard Bruce Ellington’s shooting troubles were the most pronounced for the Gamecocks (11-6, 1-3). The two-sport star made only two of his 13 field goal attempts and went 0-for-5 from 3-point territory for a total of seven points. Entering the game, Ellington was averaging 10.7 points on the season to go with a career double-digit scoring average against the Commodores (7-9, 1-3).
At halftime of the contest, football coach Steve Spurrier and a handful of football players were recognized for their Outback Bowl victory and their second consecutive 11-win season. Much like Ellington’s failed attempt to show up for the first half, he was nowhere to be found when Spurrier attempted to introduce him as a member of the historic team.
Junior guard Brenton Williams came off the bench to lead USC with 16 points, including three makes from 3-point range and a 7-of-8 showing at the free-throw line. He was the only Gamecock to break double-digits, with freshman forward Michael Carrera tallying eight points as the second-leading scorer.
“We were being aggressive, but we struggled making shots and it was our defense that kept us in the game,” Williams said. “We were only down five, even though we were shooting terrible from the field in the first half.”
With 8:35 left to play, the Gamecocks began to chip away at Vanderbilt’s 10-point lead, aided by two baskets from Carrera. Three minutes later, Ellington was able to overcome his lackluster day shooting the ball to help lead the South Carolina rally with steals on consecutive possessions. Both of Ellington’s late steals led to points for the Gamecocks and the crowd at Colonial Life Arena, 11,175 strong, was jolted back to life after his first takeaway led to an emphatic dunk by senior forward Lakeem Jackson.
South Carolina’s momentum died down after several fouls and missed 3-point attempts from the Gamecocks helped expand Vanderbilt’s lead back to a comfortable seven points down the stretch that would hold on to be the final margin.
“We tried to win, but I’m surprised we played as well as we did,” Martin said. “I didn’t expect us to be very good today, so our guys have figured something out.”
Saturday’s contest was a letdown after USC earned its first SEC victory of the season in Thursday’s overtime triumph over LSU in Baton Rouge. Martin cited a lack of enthusiasm and an overall lethargic attitude among his players during the Friday practice prior to the contest.
“It was awful, just bad,” Martin said. “(Uninterested), lifeless, I’ll let you pick the negative adjective and you can put it in there, and I promise I won’t call you and say you misquoted me.”
South Carolina will next be in action at Missouri on Tuesday. Martin said his team has a lot to work in terms of mental and physical preparedness as the SEC season continues.
“We obviously didn’t handle winning on the road very well,” Martin said. “We didn’t do a good job with that, and I’ll continue to learn from my team every day just as I ask the players to learn from us.”