Gamecocks survive foul-fest, earn rare victory at Arkansas
An SEC game turned into a free-throw shooting contest Wednesday night in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
South Carolina made just enough to win.
The Gamecocks never trailed and earned a 79-77 victory over Arkansas.
USC (12-8, 4-3 SEC) has won four of five games. The latest came despite fouling 33 times and missing 16 of 33 free throws. A.J. Lawson led the Gamecocks with 19 points.
“It’s a heck of a win,” USC coach Frank Martin told the Gamecock Sports Network. “We missed free throws and we missed some point-blank 3s when we had a chance to pop the game to 10, 11. But to hold and win is huge.”
USC, which made eight of its last 10 from the FT line, now has three quadrant one wins this season. The Gamecocks shot over 50% from the field for a second straight game. Jair Bolden had 12 points, Trae Hannibal added career-high 11 and Maik Kotsar had 10.
Arkansas (15-5, 3-4) got 34 points from Mason Jones, including 15 from the free-throw line. He helped the fouls pile up on the Gamecocks. Maik Kotsar had five and three others had at least four.
Jones made a couple free throws to cut the Carolina lead to 78-77, but Jermaine Couisnard responded with a 1-of-2 trip to the line. Isaiah Joe then missed a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Gamecocks their second win at Bud Walton Arena in their last seven trips.
The game featured 57 fouls. USC’s 33 tie for the most in the Frank Martin era. The Razorbacks went 26 of 40 from the line.
South Carolina’s offensive game plan was simple: Get to the rim, take advantage of superior size. The Gamecocks, who had two inches on each Razorback starter, got 26 of their 38 first half points in the paint or on free throws. Their opening-half lead grew to as many as 10 with a Lawson dunk at the 1:56 mark.
A 3-point play from Arkansas’ Mason Jones tied the game at 40 early in the second half, but the Gamecocks responded with a 13-4 run.
USC’s depth was on display in midst of the foul trouble. After getting a quick hook from Martin in the first half, the freshman Hannibal was a difference-maker in the second, when he scored all of his points. His mid-range jumper at the 17:17 mark gave the Gamecocks a ninth scorer.
Lawson, though, was the headliner. When the Razorbacks inched to within three, Lawson had a steal and an emphatic slam to put USC ahead 63-58 with 8:28 left. His contested 3-pointer at the 6:25 mark pushed the advantage back out to five.
Lawson’s 19 points are his most since going for 20 at Clemson on Dec. 15.
“I thought A.J. gave us the best game he’s played for us this year,” Martin said.
And one: Since going 4 of 31 from the field in the first three SEC games, Lawson is now 24 of 39 in the last four, again showing signs of his All-SEC form.
Personal foul: South Carolina easily could have had created a wider cushion in the first half had it had success in two areas of the floor. The Gamecocks missed 10 of their first 12 free throw and 3-point attempts.
Tip-in: Keyshawn Bryant wears No. 24 for the Gamecocks. That didn’t change Wednesday as USC played its first game since Kobe Bryant’s tragic death. Kobe Bryant famously was No. 24 for the second half of his Los Angeles Lakers career.
The SEC Network broadcast team revealed Keyshawn Bryant (no relation) wears No. 24 for South Carolina because his father is a huge Kobe fan. Keyshawn, a LeBron James and Michael Jordan fan, wore No. 23 in high school.
NEXT
What: Missouri at South Carolina
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
South Carolina Arkansas basketball box score
SOUTH CAROLINA (12-8): Lawson 8-13 0-2 19, Kotsar 5-9 0-1 10, Couisnard 1-6 3-4 5, Minaya 1-4 1-2 4, Bolden 3-7 4-5 12, Bryant 1-3 2-2 4, Hannibal 4-7 3-6 11, McCreary 2-3 2-3 6, Leveque 3-3 2-4 8, Frink 0-0 0-2 0, Moss 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 28-55 17-33 79.
ARKANSAS (15-5): Joe 5-16 1-2 16, Whitt 2-7 3-6 7, Jones 9-15 15-16 34, Sills 2-6 5-8 9, Harris 1-2 1-4 4, Chaney 1-2 1-4 3, Bailey 2-4 0-0 4, Cylla 0-2 0-0 0, Henderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 26-40 77.
Halftime—South Carolina 38-32. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 6-20 (Lawson 3-7, Bolden 2-5, Minaya 1-3, Bryant 0-1, Couisnard 0-4), Arkansas 7-26 (Joe 5-14, Harris 1-2, Jones 1-6, Cylla 0-1, Sills 0-3). Fouled Out—Kotsar, Leveque, Harris. Rebounds—South Carolina 36 (Kotsar 9), Arkansas 33 (Jones 12). Assists—South Carolina 14 (Couisnard 4), Arkansas 8 (Jones 4). Total Fouls—South Carolina 33, Arkansas 24. A—14,085 (19,368).
This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 10:56 PM.
