South Carolina men's basketball lost 95-48 to the No. 19 Florida Gators on Wednesday night at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks' offensive output of 48 points is the lowest the team has scored this season.
Florida opened the game by establishing an early lead and maintained control throughout the first period against South Carolina. The Gators scored the game's first 4 points through junior center Rueben Chinyelu, which included a fast-break dunk. The Gators continued to extend the lead through offensive rebounds and ball movement.
South Carolina missed several early jump shots but managed to get on the board with a fast-break layup by redshirt senior guard Kobe Knox.The Gamecocks shot 2/8 from the field and committed two turnovers in the first six minutes of play.
Midway through the first half, Florida increased its lead with a 15-8 run headlined by back-to-back 3-pointers by junior guard Urban Klavzar. The Gamecocks attempted to respond with free throws from senior guard Mike Sharavjamts and baskets from freshman guard Eli Ellis, but Florida continued to generate points off turnovers and rebounds.
Florida's lead grew to 20-10 after Chinyelu scored in the paint to lead the Gators to an extended scoring run with fast-break baskets from sophomore guard Boogie Fland and junior forward Thomas Haugh. South Carolina scored intermittently through Ellis and Sharavjamts, primarily at the foul line.
Florida closed the first period by capitalizing on late turnovers and transition chances, including a fast-break layup by senior guard Xaivian Lee. South Carolina trailed 48-20 heading into halftime, and its 20 points was the Gamecocks' lowest scoring first half of the regular season.
The Gators continued to dominate in the second half with an early jump shot from Fland followed by a basket from junior forward Alex Condon after a Gamecock turnover. Chinyelu added a field goal in the paint, pushing Florida past the 50-point mark.
South Carolina generated several offensive rebounds early but missed multiple three-point attempts. That was a common trend throughout the night as the team shot 3/20 (15%) from beyond the arc.
Ellis scored the Gamecocks' first points of the second period at the free-throw line, and Knox later connected on a 3-pointer. Ellis was one of two Gamecocks to record double figures in this game, as his 13 points paced all South Carolina players.
Florida responded to South Carolina's brief surge with transition baskets from Fland and Chinyelu, maintaining the lead as the half progressed.Senior center Micah Handlogten also added to the Gators' lead with consecutive dunks.
During this time of trailing by 30 points or more, the Gamecocks scored intermittently through redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson, Knox and Sharavjamts with free-throws and mid-range baskets.
Florida's lead grew as the second half progressed with multiple free throws and baskets from Lee, Condon, and sophomore guard Isaiah Brown. Late in the period, the Gamecocks added a 3-pointer from redshirt junior forward Christ Essandoko and free throws from Ellis.
The Gators closed the game with additional scoring in transition, including a layup from freshman guard CJ Ingram and a final basket from freshman guard Alex Lloyd in the final seconds.
The game ended with South Carolina falling to Florida 95-48,dropping the Gamecocks' SEC record to 2-6.
What's next?
The Gamecocks will remain in Columbia to face the LSU Tigers on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena, and the game will be streamed on the SEC Network.