Depleted Gamecocks use hot shooting to top Texas A&M in College Station
The South Carolina team that beat Kentucky didn’t show up to College Station, Texas, three days later. That much was known before USC’s game against Texas A&M and the school announced both T.J. Moss (death in the family) and Trae Hannibal (left ankle sprain) were unavailable.
The adversity only increased after the game began and Keyshawn Bryant exited with an apparent head injury.
Yet the Gamecocks still produced the same result Saturday that they did Wednesday.
USC kept momentum alive following the UK win by outlasting TAMU, 81-67.
“The guys were awesome,” Carolina coach Frank Martin said in a post-game radio interview with the Gamecock Sports Network.
Jair Bolden scored 19 points, Justin Minaya added a career-high 18 and Jermaine Couisnard had 17 as the Gamecocks improved to 10-7 overall.
TAMU dropped to 8-8 (2-3 SEC).
South Carolina tied a school record for 3-pointers with 16, including five for Bolden.
The Aggies went on a 9-0 run to take a 49-48 lead with 11:50 left, but the Gamecocks responded with a series of 3-pointers — two by Bolden, one by Couisnard — to re-establish command.
USC, which scored 56 second half points against Kentucky, was again strong offensively when it mattered.
Facing one of the SEC’s leaders in field goal percentage defense, the Gamecocks made nine 3s over the final 20 minutes. They led by as many as 15 when A.J. Lawson hit a 3 with 2:39 left. Lawson saved nine of his 13 points in the closing period. The Aggies were held without a field goal the final 4:22.
Martin was forced to try the depths of his bench in this one as absences collided with foul trouble. South Carolina led 39-33 at halftime despite five players picking up at least two fouls. Walk-on Nathan Nelson and little-used scholarship freshman Trey Anderson both appeared in the opening 20 minutes.
Bryant, who scored a season-high 15 points in the Kentucky win, collided with the Aggies’ Wendell Mitchell while trying for a loose ball less than three minutes in. The sophomore exited with 17:05 left in the first half and didn’t return.
Martin didn’t have a full update after the game other than he was told by USC trainer Mark Rodger that Bryant wouldn’t return.
Bolden, a healthy scratch Wednesday, was among the first Gamecocks off the bench. The junior guard foreshadowed his big game with 10 first half points.
“He knew today he was going to have to play,” Martin said of Bolden. “I couldn’t play other guys because they weren’t here. He didn’t pout, he didn’t mope.”
And one
Minaya entered the Kentucky game 4 for its previous 19 from 3-point range. He’s now made six 3s in his last two contests. Minaya on Saturday added eight rebounds and five assists. He played all 40 minutes.
Personal foul
The Aggies took an eye-opening 33 more free throws than the Gamecocks.
Tip-in
Freshman forward Jalyn McCreary, who started the second half in place of Bryant, made his first four free throws. McCreary entered as a 26.3% percent FT shooter.
Box score
SOUTH CAROLINA (10-7): Minaya 6-11 2-2 18, Couisnard 7-13 0-0 17, Kotsar 3-11 0-0 6, Bolden 7-12 0-0 19, Lawson 4-7 1-2 13, McCreary 1-1 4-4 6, Frink 1-3 0-0 2, Leveque 0-0 0-0 0, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0, Bryant 0-2 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 7-8 81.
TEXAS A&M (8-8): Nebo 6-10 6-7 18, Flagg 3-9 2-5 8, Gordon 3-10 4-5 10, Miller 1-2 7-10 9, Jackson 2-3 7-12 12, Mitchell 2-5 2-2 7, Chandler 1-5 0-0 3, Aku 0-0 0-0 0, French 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-44 28-41 67.
Halftime—South Carolina 39-33. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 16-30 (Bolden 5-7, Lawson 4-7, Minaya 4-8, Couisnard 3-8), Texas A&M 3-14 (Jackson 1-1, Mitchell 1-3, Chandler 1-4, Flagg 0-3, Gordon 0-3). Fouled Out—Lawson, Frink. Rebounds—South Carolina 34 (Kotsar 10), Texas A&M 22 (Miller 9). Assists—South Carolina 22 (Kotsar 7), Texas A&M 9 (Flagg 4). Total Fouls—South Carolina 28, Texas A&M 14.
NEXT
What: South Carolina at Auburn
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 3:06 PM.
