South Carolina men's basketball was unable to snap their losing streak after falling to the Missouri Tigers 78-59 Saturday afternoon, making this the Gamecocks fifth straight loss in the regular season.
The opening minutes were uneven on both ends. Missouri missed several point-blank opportunities early but eventually broke through after grabbing three offensive rebounds in the first 40 seconds, finally converting on a tip-in to open the scoring.
The Tigers’ rebounding advantage showed immediately, helping fuel a 7–2 start as South Carolina struggled to finish around the rim and find rhythm from the perimeter.
Missouri created its first real separation midway through the half, capitalizing on turnovers and second-chance points. A 7–0 run pushed the lead into double figures, highlighted by graduate guard Jayden Stone’s 3-pointer and strong interior play from senior forward Mark Mitchell, who was active on the boards and at the free-throw line.
South Carolina eventually settled in defensively, generating transition chances that helped close the lead. Redshirt senior guard Kobe Knox’s fast-break dunk and improved ball pressure shifted momentum, and although Missouri answered with timely shooting such as a Mitchell 3-pointer, the Gamecocks slowly chipped away at the margin.
The middle stretch of the half saw sloppy play from both teams as they traded turnovers and missed shots. Missouri briefly stretched the lead to as many as 13, but South Carolina stayed within striking distance thanks to junior forward Elijah Strong’s second-chance opportunities.
Late in the half, the Gamecocks made their best push. Strong continued to attack the basket, Knox finished strong inside and senior guard Mike Sharavjamts knocked down a key 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 4.
Missouri leaned on free throws in the final minute to steady itself, but it couldn’t land a final shot before the buzzer. Missouri controlled the early tempo, but South Carolina weathered a rough offensive start and went into the locker room trailing 34-30 heading into halftime.
The second half opened with both teams mixing lineups, but Missouri struck first. Mitchell opened the scoring at the free-throw line, while sophomore guard T.O. Barrett and Stone pushed the pace to help the Tigers gradually extend the lead.
Jumpers from Barrett and Mitchell pushed the lead to 39–32 within the first four minutes, and Missouri’s pressure soon took hold.
Missouri’s defense forced a string of South Carolina turnovers, converting several into baskets and foul shots. Stone paced the run with multiple 3-pointers and timely finishes, while Mitchell continued to score inside and clean the glass.
Missouri’s bench also made an impact, with freshman guard Nicholas Randall, graduate guard Jacob Crews and junior guard Trent Pierce providing valuable minutes and maintaining the intensity.
South Carolina made periodic pushes. Sharavjamts opened the half with a layup and assist, Strong and Knox chipped in baskets and freshman guard Eli Ellis buried a 3-pointer to pull the Gamecocks back within single digits.
Each run, however, was quickly answered. Stone knocked down another 3-pointer, Mitchell finished a dunk and Missouri continued to outrebound Gamecocks.
By the final 10 minutes, Missouri had increased the lead into the teens and never looked back, using a 12–3 run over four minutes to stretch the margin from single digits to a commanding double-digit advantage.
South Carolina converted a few late free throws and found buckets from redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson and Ellis, but the Gamecocks couldn’t string together stops. Late fast-break finishes from Barrett gave the Tigers the victory.
What's next?
The Gamecocks will travel to the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.