Gamecocks score one point in overtime
ATHENS, Ga. —Time was not South Carolina’s friend on Saturday.
After UGA’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made the game-tying 3-pointer with 10 seconds left regulation, the clock didn’t stop after the shot for South Carolina to in-bound the ball, as it should have by rule. The Gamecocks (13-14, 3-11 SEC) rushed the ball to point guard Bruce Ellington, who shot a 3-pointer as time expired.
Both teams prepared for overtime, but after a delay, the officials put 4.5 seconds of regulation back on the clock, though there were 8.9 seconds left after Caldwell-Pope’s basket. In the second chance, the result was the same, sending the teams to overtime.
For USC coach Frank Martin, the Gamecocks squandered their chances before its last possession, surrendering a 4-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation to lose 62-54 in overtime.
“They just gave in to the moment, which is a common theme around here,” Martin said.
Regarding the final seconds of regulation, officials’ crew chief Anthony Jordan said in a statement the clock was “erroneously started during a deadball situation” with 8.9 seconds left.
“The difference from 8.9 seconds, when the basket was scored, and the time the South Carolina player received the ball was 4.5 seconds,” he said. “By rule, it was a correctible-error situation. We put the ball back in play, giving South Carolina the 4.5 seconds it had lost when the clock erroneously ran. The ball was placed on the baseline at the point closest to where he initially received the ball.”
Martin did not comment on the officials’ ruling.
“They’ve got bosses that they answer to,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll have conversations with their superiors. I’ve got not idea. I have no idea what happened.”
Scoring just one point in overtime, Martin said his team “hung their heads.”
“What’s disappointing is the lack of belief that we’re supposed to win,” Martin said. “That’s what’s disappointing.”
With one player having fouled out and four players with four fouls at the end of regulation, USC was at a disadvantage in overtime. Forward Michael Carrera, guard Brenton Williams and forward Lakeem Jackson all fouled out by the end of the game.
Martin spoke tersely after the game, saying USC “gave it away.”
“We fought, we came in here to win, but we’ve got to believe we can win,” he said. “You can’t get the ball inbounds, you can’t make free throws, so you don’t deserve to win.”
South Carolina got off to a slow start, going 0-for-8 from the field before scoring the first basket. USC trailed the Bulldogs 23-16 at halftime, having shot 20 percent from the field. Georgia (13-14, 7-7 SEC) stretched its lead to 10 to start the second half.
USC rallied to lead for the first time with under nine minutes left in regulation. South Carolina had its largest lead with 1:43 left, but then had defensive breakdowns that allowed Georgia to tie it. In overtime, USC was outscored 9-1.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” Ellington said. “We worked so hard and played so hard for it to come down to little things like not switching on screens and letting them get a clear shot at the last second, so it’s frustrating, but we’ve just got to continue to build and continue to get better.”
With just four games left in the season, time is running out for the Gamecocks.