No letdown here: South Carolina follows Kentucky upset with home win over Missouri
No overtime was needed this go-round.
After Tuesday’s historic win over No. 6 Kentucky, South Carolina had to follow up and face Missouri. It was the first time this year USC was facing a repeat opponent. South Carolina had come back to force overtime and win in Missouri just two weeks earlier, but a few quick runs and a high-scoring day from BJ Mack negated the need for extra play Saturday.
South Carolina finished its monumental week with a 72-64 win over Missouri in Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks are now 17-3 and 5-2 in conference play. They’ve sealed the deal for a non-losing record, surpassed last season’s SEC win total in seven tries, and should be in contention for their first Top 25 ranking in seven years when the new Associated Press poll is released Monday.
USC takes advantage
South Carolina had a 10-point halftime lead. Cooper, who nailed the last USC bucket, celebrated the much-needed basket as the team walked into the locker room. Missouri shot less than 30% from 3-point range, while USC was nearing 50%.
“I thought they won the game in different areas,” said Missouri head coach Dennis Gates. “The 10 3-pointers made was a crucial (30) extra points on their stat sheet.”
Scoring 10 treys (10 for 25) was important for USC’s offense in a game with a deadlocked rebound and turnover battle. The Gamecocks’ 26 bench points and 15 assists also made a difference, even though Missouri narrowly won the turnover and rebounding margin (+1).
There were certainly some less-than-stellar moments. Missouri tried putting together a second-half comeback, including an 11-0 run that gave it the lead three minutes in. Sean East II and Tamar Bates both scored in double digits for the Tigers. Connor Vanover, Missouri’s lone 7-foot big, collected seven rebounds.
“We made some mistakes,” said Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris. “We had a couple pick-sixes during that stretch and turnovers. The turnovers were not great.”
But when USC found the right play, it worked. Paris’ job was to keep the Gamecocks’ heads cool, despite the Tigers’ visible frustration creeping in. Missouri wasn’t going to go away, and Paris knew that. He made sure the Gamecocks didn’t let it fluster them.
“I told our guys, that’s what these guys do,” Paris said, “fight like crazy. You can see that they have great energy and belief in what they do.”
Mack leads the way
Mack has led South Carolina’s offense in SEC play, and he’s now scored 15 points in four of the last five games. Against Missouri two weeks ago, Mack scored 21 points in the overtime win. At Colonial Life Arena on Saturday, he scored another 20 points against the Tigers.
Mack’s sharp shooting made him the leading scorer, with Cooper (12), Morris Ugusuk (10) and Jacobi Wright (11) all scoring in double digits.
“BJ brings a lot,” Ta’Lon Cooper said. “I mean, he’s a five-man that can pop, and can take it to the post. ... Having a player like that, it’s just so great to have on the team.”
USC didn’t have Meechie Johnson’s offense working, however, as he went scoreless. It was the first time Johnson hasn’t scored in a game for USC, and the second time this year Missouri has held the Gamecocks’ leader to fewer than six points in a game.
Johnson finished the game with a plus-8 rating, despite not making any field goals, and he had two assists and a steal.
“Johnson’s a great player. ... He’s averaging double digits,” Gates said. ”He’s just missing shots right now, shots that’ll fall. I’m sure guys are picking up where he left off and that’s the sign of a good team.”
Young players making it big
South Carolina’s mature offense has taken much of the spotlight this season, making Collin Murray-Boyles’ and Ugusuk’s success that much more impactful. The two freshmen played through Missouri’s physical defense Saturday, with Ugusuk having his second career double-digit performance and Murray-Boyles notching seven points and eight rebounds.
“It’s nice to be able to have Morris come in and score big today,” Paris said. “And again, we had a couple of guys who couldn’t make shots. So that’s a luxury to be able to have that kind of depth.”
They’re the only freshmen on the roster who are playing this season. Murray-Boyles became a starter the first time he faced Missouri. And coincidentally, Ugusuk’s first double-digit game was also against the Tigers.
Murray-Boyles and Ugusuk have played crucial minutes in games such as both Missouri matchups, against Kentucky on Tuesday and throughout non-conference play. Paris has praised the pair all season and how they’ve found a place in the lineup with so much development still ahead of them.
“We’ve been practicing hard,” Ugusuk said. “Its just a confidence in what we do.”
Other notable stats
- Josh Gray has scored at least five points in the last three games, making it his most prolific offensive stretch of the season.
- Zach Davis’ two 3-pointers marked the first time he’s scored two in a game since playing DePaul on Nov. 19.
- Mack has scored 96 total points since the start of SEC play, now averaging 13.7 points per game in those seven match-ups.
- The last time USC started its conference play 5-2 was in 2018-19, when the Gamecocks went 11-7 in SEC play and 16-16 overall.
Next four games
- Tuesday at No. 5 Tennessee, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Feb. 3 at Georgia, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Feb. 6 vs. Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Feb. 10 vs. Vanderbilt, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
This story was originally published January 27, 2024 at 3:03 PM.
