No. 21 South Carolina’s defense has been its staple all season, yet the Gamecocks defense was exposed by Arkansas in an 83-76 loss Wednesday night.
The Gamecocks got off to a hot start in the game, as they opened on a 19 to 5 run in the first 5:42 of the first half. Dozier, Thornwell and Chris Silva fueled this start, as each scored five points during this stretch.
The Gamecocks early lead would not last though, as their run was immediately countered by a Razorback run of their own. Arkansas would score 25 of the next 27 points, building a lead as great as nine points during the course of the run.
From then on, the Gamecocks would never recover. Their last lead of the game came at the 8:33 mark of the first half, as Arkansas was seemingly able to counter every mini-run the Gamecocks made for the rest of the game.
Outside of the first 5:42 of the game, Arkansas offense did not seem to be fazed by South Carolina’s defense. The Gamecocks, who came into the game with the top three-point percentage defense in the country, allowed Arkansas to shoot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.
Sindarius Thornwell was direct when asked about the teams defensive performances, saying, “We not guarding, we not pressuring the ball, we’re not denying, we’re not doing what we’ve been doing throughout the season.”
Coach Frank Martin pointed to the mental aspects as to what his team was recently lacking on the defensive end.
“To play the way we play, you have to play with unbelievable enthusiasm, toughness, discipline, and we’ve done that for most of the year,” said Martin when asked about his team’s recent defensive struggles. “We have not done that here as of late.”
Dusty Hannah and Jaylen Barford led the Razorbacks on the offensive, with each scoring over 20 points on the night. But no player’s shot was bigger than Manuale Watkins, who banked in a fade away jumper as the shot clock expired with 29 seconds left in the game, pushing Arkansas’ lead to three.
“You couldn’t ask for better defense by Rah, but, you know, a heck of a shot by [Watkins],” said Thornwell after the game. "He stepped up and made a tough shot for his team."
Thornwell ended the night with 27 points on 10-19 shooting, while also adding four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
South Carolina will look to rebound from the loss Saturday as they take on Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks will be seeking their 11th win in SEC play, as they still remain very much in the hunt for the regular season SEC champion.