The South Carolina men's basketball team was unable to complete their third upset in the past two weeks, as No. 14 Texas Tech emerged late for the 70-63 victory in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The final six minutes were the difference maker, as the Gamecocks were not able to find the late-game rhythm they've worked on the past few games. The Gamecocks were up by five with six minutes to play, but the Red Raiders' offense took off and the Gamecocks couldn't keep up. Texas Tech ended up outscoring South Carolina 17-5 in those final few minutes.
"We didn't do a good job executing," Chris Silva said. "They locked in and we didn't."
Offense was slow for South Carolina in the loss, as Silva was the team's leading scorer with just 16 points. But the Gamecocks once again dealt with a lot of fouls, as Silva, Frank Booker and Wes Myers all fouled out.
Despite the loss, the team feels they have a lot to take away from the game.
Both Silva and Justin Minaya credited how the team has improved over the past few weeks, especially in practice. Minaya said he's noticed an intensity and focus from the rest of the players while they've been practicing, and everyone feels more locked in. Head coach Frank Martin has also noticed a similar pattern and that they're getting closer to becoming a stronger team.
"We have made progress," Martin said. "We are so much better than we were back in December, but we are not there yet."
Martin also noted that his team needs to work on closing games out, which was evident in Saturday's game. He said he'll work on being more creative with plays and stay strong on defense in the final minutes.
Regardless, South Carolina (13-8, 4-4 SEC) feels ready to push through this loss and move forward to Wednesday when they host Mississippi State. They know they haven't reached their full potential yet, and they feel they need to focus on what's ahead.
"A win is a win, and a loss is a loss," Silva said. "We got to come back in and work, get better and attack the next game like it is the most important on the schedule."