Quick exit in Nashville: GG Jackson, Gamecocks ousted by Ole Miss at SEC tournament
South Carolina was right there — within reach of a season-extending win — down by just three points in the waning seconds of Game 1 of the SEC men’s basketball tournament.
With the clock ticking down to 30 seconds, the Gamecocks executed perfectly on the defensive end, forcing an empty possession for No. 13-seed Ole Miss. But freshman Zachary Davis couldn’t hold on to the rebound. The ball slipped through his fingers — just like so many games slipped from USC’s grasp this season.
The 12th-seeded Gamecocks (11-21, 4-14 SEC) fell to the No. 13 Rebels 67-61, ending Year 1 of the Lamont Paris era on a sour note.
“Our guys competed and played extremely hard,” Paris said. “I had no issues whatsoever. It was a really good college basketball game. They had some runs. They had one more run than we did.”
Here’s what we learned.
Rebels go on late run
Just when South Carolina had bounced back with a 10-0 run to take the lead midway through the second half, the Rebels went on a tear to take control.
Hampered by turnovers and poor shot selection, the Gamecocks allowed Ole Miss to go on a game-changing 15-4 run during a five-minute stretch at the end of the second half.
Ole Miss freshman guard Amaree Abram was pivotal during that stretch, making three 3-pointers to help the Rebels establish their largest lead of the game.
Sloppy first half
The Gamecocks’ struggles in the first half were largely self-inflicted.
Sloppy ball-handling led to eight first-half turnovers, with point guard Meechie Johnson turning the ball over three times himself. Those turnovers allowed the Rebels to get out in transition and score, racking up nine fast-break points and 11 points off USC turnovers in the first half.
The Gamecocks also floundered near the rim, making the easy shots look difficult. USC made just four of 12 layup attempts in the first half, according to the live stats service StatBroadcast.
Jackson finishes on strong note
A headline-grabber all season long, USC star freshman GG Jackson was the best player on the court for the Gamecocks on Wednesday — even if his play wasn’t enough to carry the Gamecocks to victory.
Jackson took flight in the second half, scoring five points to fuel a 10-0 run that momentarily gave the Gamecocks a lead midway through the half.
The star freshman tied the game with a layup and a successful and-1, then he scored again near the rim to give the Gamecocks their first lead since the first half.
Jackson displayed the skills that make him a top NBA prospect in the second half, putting down two rim-rattling dunks — one on an alley-oop pass from Hayden Brown.
Jackson finished with a team-high 24 points in what could possibly be his last game as a Gamecock. Jackson hasn’t yet announced his intentions for next season or whether or not he’ll enter the NBA Draft.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 8:59 PM.
