Gamecocks secure Senior Day win over Missouri. What we learned
The South Carolina men’s basketball team did what it had to do.
With the SEC tournament starting next week and with just one regular season game remaining at No. 5 Auburn, the Gamecocks (18-11, 9-8 SEC) couldn’t afford a loss to the visiting Missouri Tigers (10-20, 4-13).
Playing their final home game of the season, USC shook off an ugly start to the game to pull ahead of the Tigers 73-69. Frank Martin’s Gamecocks remain firmly in the NIT picture with the win, but they’ll need much more work in the SEC tournament to have a chance at an NCAA bid. They came into Tuesday night ranked 91 in the most recent NET rankings.
“We know what’s at stake,” senior Keyshawn Bryant said. “We know what we got to do to get to the finish line. So right now we’re just trying to stay the course and just take it game by game.”
Here’s what we learned.
Gamecocks honor seniors
As is tradition, the Gamecocks recognized their seniors for their final home game, holding Senior Day festivities after the game instead of before.
Martin said earlier in the week that he wanted to make sure all of the team’s veterans were honored, whether they intend to leave after the season or not. Seven players — Keyshawn Bryant, Jermaine Couisnard, James Reese, Erik Stevenson, Brandon Martin, A.J. Wilson and Mike Green — were honored at the conclusion of the game.
Of those players only Reese and Wilson have exhausted their college eligibility, meaning the other five could potentially return, although Martin said he hasn’t talked about next season with any of them. Reese, who starred at A.C. Flora and transferred to his hometown Gamecocks for his final season, said the emotions hit him as he saw his family and friends in the stand.
“I wasn’t trying to show my emotions on the court, but this is really like my last go around,” Reese said. “I wouldn’t want to spend it no place else. It means a lot just being home.”
As they did in February when the Gamecocks won four straight games, the veterans carried the load for USC on Tuesday, with Couisnard scoring 17 and Reese scoring 13 points. Freshman Devin Carter added 17 points, making key free throws in the game’s final moments and leading the team with eight rebounds.
Sloppy first half, better second
Rough starts have been a trend for the Gamecocks throughout SEC play as their first halves this season have been marred by turnovers and fouls. That was the case again Tuesday — though Mizzou was just as sloppy.
The Gamecocks shot 35% and the Tigers shot 32% and the teams combined for 14 turnovers as neither team could seem to find a rhythm. Struggling to find room against Mizzou’s defense, USC settled for mid-range jumpers and failed to consistently make them.
But USC has been a strong second-half team this season, coming off a game at Alabama where the Gamecocks cut the deficit to six points in the second half. The Gamecocks once again turned in a crisper performance after halftime, shooting 39% as a team. But Mizzou found some offense late as well, cutting the game to a one-point deficit with 90 seconds to play.
“One thing I learned about this team is I feel like a majority of our turnovers come off just trying to force things or simply just moving too fast,” Bryant said. “So games like this we kind of have to buckle down, execute a few plays and slow the game down.”
Leveque shows life, big men still struggle
Martin hasn’t been shy about expressing disappointment in his big men throughout SEC play, lamenting that his guards get more rebounds and that his bigs contribute little in the offensive game.
Junior center Wildens Leveque, in particular, has struggled in SEC play after finishing non-conference play with five straight double-digit scoring games, averaging just five points and four rebounds per game in SEC play. Martin has said he doesn’t understand why Leveque has taken a step back and isn’t sure how to help him. But Leveque did show some signs of life Tuesday.
Perhaps letting out some frustration, Leveque threw down a rim-rattling dunk in the first half that brought the Colonial Life Arena crowd to its feet. And he added four blocks and a steal on the other end of the court to disrupt the Mizzou offense. Leveque finished with four points but just five rebounds as the team’s big men continue to lag behind athletic guards like Stevenson and the freshman Carter in rebounding.
“I thought he played with the most energy that he’s played with in a while,” Martin said. “But I still don’t comprehend that he can’t get rebounds.
“... He shows up every day, and he continues to work and hopefully this gives them a springboard to get back in a better place.”
Next USC men’s basketball game
Who: South Carolina at Auburn
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Auburn Arena in Alabama
Watch: SEC Network
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 9:18 PM.
