Auburn loss puts spotlight on this rare issue facing a Frank Martin-led USC team
It was 8:35 p.m. local time — a half-hour past the final buzzer — and the star of Wednesday’s game was still on the court. Auburn’s Devan Cambridge was practicing free throws.
The scene had a certain irony to it on the South Carolina side. Here was the guy who had just crushed the Gamecocks for a career-high 26 points getting extra reps in at a spot USC hardly visited in an 80-67 loss to the 16th-ranked Tigers.
If Cambridge — a virtual non-factor in Auburn’s season before Wednesday — was the main story attached to USC’s win streak ending at two, the Gamecocks’ lack of free throw attempts deserves a sidebar.
South Carolina (10-8, 2-3 SEC) went to the charity stripe all of nine times in Auburn Arena. This comes after eight FT attempts at Texas A&M on Saturday. This marks the first time in the Frank Martin era (since 2012-13) the Gamecocks have gone consecutive games with fewer than 10 such attempts.
Carolina managed a split during this rare stretch thanks to a program-tying 16 3-pointers against the Aggies. The Gamecocks came back down to Earth on Wednesday, making six of their 21 tries from beyond the arc. Auburn outscored Carolina by 27 points on 3s and FTs. USC was plus-18 at those spots in College Station.
“If we’re not going to attack the rim, play physical at the rim, then you got to make your jump shots,” Carolina coach Frank Martin said Wednesday. “When you don’t, you’re not going to win.”
Plenty has been made this season about South Carolina’s free throw struggles. After Wednesday’s 3-for-9 performance, the Gamecocks are down to 60.6% at the line, barely above the 1994-95 team that finished worst in program history at 60.4.
But the most recent results put a spotlight on a related issue. At 19.7, the 2019-20 Gamecocks are attempting the fewest free throws per game in the Martin era. Opponents are getting to the line seven more times a night, the largest gap in the Martin era.
“The guards have to do a better job of attacking and getting to the rim,” said redshirt sophomore swingman Justin Minaya, “and trying to draw more fouls.”
South Carolina has been spoiled in recent years with foul-magnets. Sindarius Thornwell led the SEC in free throw attempts in 2016-17, Chris Silva did the same in 2017-18 and then Silva finished runner-up to Tennessee’s Grant Williams last season. No Gamecock ranks in the top 10 of that category this season.
Asked for a specific reason for this team’s dip in free throws — i.e. a lack of aggressiveness — Martin responded to a veteran reporter in the room with this: “You’ve covered my team for eight years. You’ve seen us play almost every game we’ve played in the last eight years. Have you ever seen us go through a stretch where we shoot 17 free throws in eight games? We got to be better.”
The frustration was obvious. Game No. 253 at South Carolina for Martin was just the 10th that failed to see his Gamecocks get at least 10 free throws. They’re now 4-6 when this happens.
“I like playing fast,” Martin said. “I don’t mind the score being 80-67. But we got caught up in taking quick shots rather than playing off the bounce and getting that ball in the paint.”
Added Minaya: “(Martin) wants us to be aggressive and try to get to the free throw line. We’re passive sometimes.”
NEXT
What: Vanderbilt at South Carolina
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in the Columbia area
Auburn vs South Carolina basketball box score
SOUTH CAROLINA (10-8): Lawson 4-8 2-2 11, Kotsar 3-8 0-0 6, Minaya 6-12 0-0 14, Couisnard 7-14 1-5 16, Bolden 4-12 0-0 10, McCreary 2-2 0-0 4, Moss 1-3 0-0 2, Leveque 2-2 0-2 4, Frink 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-61 3-9 67.
AUBURN (16-2): Okoro 3-7 2-2 8, Doughty 3-10 4-4 11, McCormick 5-12 2-3 13, Purifoy 0-4 4-4 4, Cambridge 10-14 0-2 26, McLemore 1-2 2-2 4, Wiley 1-4 4-4 6, Johnson 2-3 0-0 6, Flanigan 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 26-58 18-21 80.
Halftime—Auburn 39-31. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 6-21 (Bolden 2-5, Minaya 2-7, Lawson 1-3, Couisnard 1-5, Moss 0-1), Auburn 10-28 (Cambridge 6-9, Johnson 2-3, McCormick 1-4, Doughty 1-5, Flanigan 0-1, McLemore 0-1, Okoro 0-1, Purifoy 0-4). Rebounds—South Carolina 31 (Kotsar 8), Auburn 36 (Wiley 8). Assists—South Carolina 16 (Kotsar 5), Auburn 17 (Okoro 7). Total Fouls—South Carolina 17, Auburn 16.
