Coming off an 89-62 loss to Kentucky on Saturday, their worst of the season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team’s slide continued, as they lost on the road to lowly Missouri by a score of 72-67. The Gamecocks have struggled on the road all season, as four of their five losses have come away from Colonial Life Arena, all of which were unexpected.
The Gamecocks fell behind early, trailing by as many as 15 points in the game, and not taking a lead until a pair of Michael Carrera free throws gave the visitors a one-point advantage with 2:59 to play.The teams traded buckets for a few possessions, but after freshman guard PJ Dozier made a jumper to even the score with 1:48 left in the game, South Carolina was held scoreless.
In addition to the poor finish, a slow start hindered the Gamecocks yet again. Coach Frank Martin’s squad made just two of its first 14 shots, and South Carolina was already trailing by 13 when junior guard Duane Notice knocked down a three with 11:22 to go in the first half. The offense then stagnated for another 2:10 before junior guard Sindarius Thornwell hit a three of his own, helping the scoring get back on track.
Notice was the bright spot for the Gamecocks, scoring 21 points off the bench and hitting five threes on just seven attempts. On the other hand, the team’s top two scorers, Carrera and Thornwell, shot a combined 6-22 from the field, and senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius didn’t help with his 1-7 performance before fouling out. Senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas was quiet offensively as well, as his only shot came in the form of a desperation three in the game’s waning seconds. Outside of Notice, the South Carolina offense was atrocious, shooting under 27 percent from the floor.
Missouri has the worst conference record in the SEC, having now won three of their thirteen games in conference play. The Tigers traveled to Columbia on Jan. 16, where the Gamecocks had trouble putting away their opponents, but never trailed in an 81-72 victory. Missouri, who is ineligible for the postseason, has also beaten Tennessee and Auburn in conference play, who have a combined 8-16 record in the SEC, including the Volunteers’ win over the Gamecocks.
Having lost two straight for the first time this season, South Carolina will return home Saturday to take on the Florida Gators, who should provide a tough test. At 8-5 in their conference schedule, the Gamecocks are now a game and a half back of LSU and Kentucky, despite leading the conference just a week ago.