GG Jackson, Gamecocks send Clemson packing in first rivalry game of Lamont Paris era
Midway through Friday night’s first half, South Carolina freshman phenom GG Jackson drained a 3-pointer at the top of the arc to take a lead over rival Clemson. Then he turned toward Gamecocks fans in the crowd, puffed out his chest and pointed to the garnet No. 23 on his jersey.
It might’ve only been the second game of the college basketball season, but there was no shortage of electricity in Colonial Life Arena. Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, the Gamecocks defeated the Tigers 60-58 in an edge-of-your-seat thriller.
The win bumped first-year head coach Lamont Paris to a 2-0 at the helm in Columbia, putting a bow on his 48th birthday, which he celebrated Friday. Players gather around him in the locker room, sang “Happy birthday” and dumped water on him after the win.
“College basketball is here, officially,” Paris said with a smile after the win. “Really excited for our guys and for them to get to play a game like that rivalry game, and then go out and enjoy it. And hang out and have the whole community be in a good mood because of what they did tonight.
“How cool is that for them? And so I’m just glad to be a small part of it.”
Here’s what we learned from the rivalry clash.
Local players shine
Though Friday marked Paris’ first exposure to the Palmetto State rivalry, the game had added significance for USC’s in-state products.
The Ridge View alum Jackson, Cardinal Newman alum Chico Carter Jr. and Jacobi Wright of Fort Mill each put together strong games for the Gamecocks, pacing the team offensively.
No one stood out more than Carter, whose last-second bucket with 0.3 seconds on the clock proved to be the game-winner. He finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and was able to relish in the joy of delivering for his hometown.
“I’m still on a high right now,” Carter said moments after making the shot. “I’m gonna go hug my mom and dad and my sister, everybody that came to the game. I had like 17 tickets. So it was a lot of people who came to see me play. I feel like I gave them a show.”
After posting a double-double in his freshman debut, Jackson followed up with another double-digit point effort, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds. Opposing coach Brad Brownell said Jackson “looked like a pro” at times with the way he played on the court.
Carter and Wright primarily served as role players last season, but both have played significant minutes for USC through two games, with Carter Jr. starting both. Wright put up a career-high 14 points against S.C. State, and he continued his hot shooting from the 3-point line on Friday, scoring 10 points.
Both teams getting healthier
In good news for the Gamecocks, Illinois transfer forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk was able to make his first career start after missing the season-opening win over S.C. State with a leg injury. With his return, Paris was able to start a bigger lineup than the guard-heavy starting five he employed against the Bulldogs. Bosmans-Verdonk scored the first two points of the game for USC.
Fellow veteran Meechie Johnson, a guard from Ohio State, also drew the start for USC after he suffered a pair of injuries against S.C. State and received treatment throughout the week. Johnson looked a bit shaky shooting the ball, especially early in the game, but he did make one of his trademark deep 3-pointers from well beyond the arc. He had a minor ankle tweak late in the game, but he returned to action after resting on the bench.
On the other side, Clemson star forward P.J. Hall made his season debut for the Tigers after offseason knee surgery. He didn’t start, but Hall played significant minutes off the bench with a long black sleeve wrapped around his right leg. He finished with a team-high 15 points in a limited 22 minutes on the court.
Gamecocks don’t let sloppiness bury them
While USC flashed its talent with dunks from Jackson and 3-pointers from Wright, the Gamecocks still have some cleaning up to do on both ends of the court.
Turnovers were an issue for much of the contest and especially in the second half. After turning the ball over just 11 times against S.C. State, the Gamecocks surpassed that total in the second half alone, allowing the Tigers to keep pace and never establishing much breathing room.
Though the new-look Gamecocks still need to adapt to Paris’ system, they’ve shown an aptitude through two games to deliver winning plays in the final moments. The shot by Carter Jr. in the final seconds was the biggest play of all.
Next four USC MBB games
- Nov. 17: vs. Colorado State/at Charleston Classic, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
- Nov. 18: vs. TBD/at Charleston Classic)
- Nov. 20: vs. TBD/at Charleston Classic)
- Nov. 25: vs. USC Upstate (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 9:02 PM.
