As the final horn sounded and several Gamecock players ran around with their arms in the air, it was easy to tell how big the team’s 64-60 upset victory over No. 9 Iowa State at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn meant to the South Carolina men’s basketball program.
With the win, South Carolina (9-3), winners of seven straight games, strengthened its NCAA resume and defeated a top-10 opponent for the first time since 2010 when the Gamecocks defeated No. 1 Kentucky.
Thornwell steps up
South Carolina small forward Sindarius Thornwell has established himself as one of his team’s go-to guys, and while the sophomore has struggled in some games this season, he rose to the occasion when the Gamecocks needed him the most.
Thornwell finished with 13 points and elevated his play in the final minutes. With a little over one minute remaining in the second half, Thornwell made a layup to extend South Carolina’s lead to six points.
But Iowa State, trailing by three with 12 seconds remaining, had one final chance, but Thornwell came up with a steal, and subsequently made a free throw to put the game away.
Fast start
South Carolina struggled offensively for most of the night, but the Gamecocks were able to give themselves a big cushion early on.
By the first media timeout of the first half, Iowa State already trailed 14-4. While the Cyclones outscored the Gamecocks 56-51 from that point on, South Carolina’s strong performance in the first few minutes paid dividends.
Defense stands tall
Coach Frank Martin’s team entered Saturday’s contest with one of the best defenses across the NCAA, and South Carolina continued its strong play against one of the country’s top offenses. Iowa State, a team that averages over 84 points per game, shot a poor 35.1 percent from the field and a dismal 5.6 percent (1-18) from three-point range.
South Carolina knew they would have to slow down Iowa State forward Georges Niang, and the Gamecocks did just that.
Niang, a 6-foot-8-inch jack-of-all-trades was limited to only 10 points as he made only three of 13 shot attempts while committing four turnovers.
Iowa State tried turn the game into a quick-paced contest because of its athleticism, but South Carolina made it a point of emphasis to slow the game down in the second half, and that strategy took the Cyclones out of their element.
Gamecocks show mental toughness
As the the first half went on, South Carolina saw a 12-point advantage dwindle down to just one point as the two teams went to halftime, and the momentum previously held by the Gamecocks shifted over to Iowa State.
The Cyclones eventually led for the first time with 8:28 in the second half, and the predominantly Iowa State crowd went nuts.
Nonetheless, South Carolina stayed strong mentally, didn’t let the Cyclones’ run affect them and retook the lead for good with 5:30 left in the game.
Guards guide offense
Shooting guard Duane Notice continued his hot streak, yet again finding a way to put the ball in the bucket, scoring in double-digits for the eighth straight game.
Notice also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Gamecock point guard and Plainfield, New Jersey native Tyrone Johnson also performed well in what was a homecoming game for him.
The senior guard scored 13 points, had three assists and grabbed seven rebounds while committing just one turnover.
Overcoming foul trouble
South Carolina’s depth in the frontcourt was tested to the maximum Saturday night as several Gamecocks were in foul trouble.
In the first half alone, the Gamecocks committed 17 fouls as the Cyclones continuously attacked the basket with no mercy.
South Carolina’s four primary post players Demetrius Henry, Michael Carrera, Mindaugas Kacinas and Laimonas Chetkevicius were each called for a plethora of fouls with Henry, Kacinas and Chetkevicius eventually fouling out late in the second half.
Still, those four players combined to score 17 points and nine rebounds while forcing Iowa State to earn their points at the free throw line.