LSU turns away South Carolina’s attempt to score key SEC win
On a day when the South Carolina men’s basketball team needed firepower and defensive cohesion against a highly efficient LSU team, the Gamecocks just couldn’t find enough.
And a chance at what would have been a crucial win fell away.
The Gamecocks caught the wrong end of a big day Saturday from some of LSU’s worst shooters and couldn’t shoot well enough themselves to avoid an 86-80 loss in Colonial Life Arena. It’s the second defeat in a row for USC and the team’s first losing streak since the start of SEC play.
“Disappointed in the outcome,” Gamecocks coach Frank Martin said. “Disappointed in, two games in a row defensively, our attention to detail and discipline has been really, really bad.
“We got young guards. ... They just toyed with us.”
Martin also pointed out his team had only one day of practice after a late flight following a loss to Mississippi State. He said he didn’t have the time to get the defense fixed following that game.
The Tigers offense was already one of the 10 most efficient in the country, and that’s before some of its least-successful players from 3-point range starting hitting against the Gamecocks (16-11, 8-6 SEC). LSU’s three worst rotation shooters — Trendon Watford (26.3%), Darius Days (27.9%), Aundre Hyatt (22.9%) — connected on six of their first nine 3s in the first and early second half.
Days hit his first two 3s quickly, and Gamecocks players said they didn’t gameplan as if he was a poor shooter.
“Our game plan was when he screened and popped, we had to have full rotation on him,” USC guard Jermaine Couisnard said. “But we didn’t do our job tonight.”
South Carolina’s last best chance in the game came when a Keyshawn Bryant dunk cut the lead to 49-45 LSU. The visitors (19-8, 10-4) scored 16 of the next 20 points to put the game away.
The Gamecocks got within four points in the final 30 seconds, but LSU hit its free throws.
Bryant has been out of sorts on offense of late, but delivered a solid game for more than a half, hitting five of his first 12 shots. He finished with 15 points and Martin praised his energy Saturday night.
Couisnard and Jair Bolden each also had 15 for the Gamecocks, while A.J. Lawson put in 13. Days and Javonte Smart paced the Tigers with 18 points apiece.
In the first half, the Gamecocks closed in from several deficits but had issues with foul trouble and a free-throw disparity. The hosts ended the first 20 minutes with seven free throw attempts to 14 for LSU, and a 12-3 deficit in makes.
Another factor causing issues for South Carolina was Days connecting on 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. He had never hit more than three 3s in any of his 61 career games.
Tigers coach Will Wade said his team got a “working margin” when Gamecocks center Maik Kotsar had to sit with foul trouble in the first half. He got his second foul in a two-point game and right after, the lead grew to seven.
The loss puts the Gamecocks in a desperation spot in terms of postseason hopes. With only one more Quadrant 1 opportunity, they would likely need to run the table in the regular season or make a run in the SEC tournament to build a borderline NCAA tournament résumé.
“We got our tails kicked,” Martin said.
NEXT
What: Georgia at South Carolina
When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
South Carolina LSU box score
LSU (19-8): Days 6-8 2-2 18, Hyatt 1-2 0-0 3, Watford 5-11 4-6 15, Mays 3-11 7-8 13, Smart 7-12 2-2 18, Manning 2-8 4-6 9, Williams 2-6 4-5 8, Taylor 0-1 2-2 2, Cooper 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 25-31 86.
SOUTH CAROLINA (16-11): Bryant 5-14 5-9 15, Frink 0-1 1-2 1, Kotsar 4-10 2-2 10, Couisnard 4-16 5-6 15, Lawson 5-12 0-0 13, Bolden 6-9 0-0 15, Leveque 2-3 1-3 5, Hannibal 2-7 1-2 6, McCreary 0-2 0-0 0, Moss 0-1 0-1 0. Totals 28-75 15-25 80.
Halftime—LSU 44-37. 3-Point Goals—LSU 9-23 (Days 4-6, Smart 2-5, Hyatt 1-2, Watford 1-2, Manning 1-5, Mays 0-3), South Carolina 9-25 (Bolden 3-6, Lawson 3-8, Couisnard 2-6, Hannibal 1-4, Moss 0-1). Rebounds—LSU 37 (Watford 10), South Carolina 40 (Bryant 10). Assists—LSU 15 (Mays 6), South Carolina 12 (Couisnard 4). Total Fouls—LSU 23, South Carolina 22. A—15,979 (18,000).
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 8:13 PM.
