USC falls short against No. 22 Xavier in Fort Myers Tipoff. 3 things we learned
South Carolina men’s basketball had another shot at a marquee win — one that could boost their metrics, as head coach Lamont Paris likes to reference.
But USC let a double-digit lead slip away, falling 75-66 to No. 22 Xavier on Monday in the Fort Myers Tipoff at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida
South Carolina is 3-3 overall in nonconference games after starting last year’s NCAA Tournament season 12-1 before SEC play. As far as postseason metrics go, losing to Xavier will count as a Quad 1 loss — a defeat that doesn’t hurt the resume too badly because it’s a quality opponent.
There were opportunities for USC to make a few plays in key moments that might have changed the momentum of the game, Paris said in a postgame radio interview with 107.5 FM. Missed layups and second-chance points allowed were two areas of note for Paris.
“Maybe you go up 10 to 12 (points) going into halftime with a team that just got into the Top 25 and has an expectation,” Paris said. “But it wasn’t meant to be that way, because we didn’t take advantage of a couple really good opportunities early in the game.”
The Gamecocks stormed to an early 17-7 lead, holding firm behind a stout defense in the first half. But Xavier’s second-half surges — an 11-2 run early and a 7-0 burst midway through — tipped the balance in its favor and allowed it to take control of the game.
Xavier took advantage of USC’s mistakes throughout the game, turning its 12 turnovers into 20 points.
USC went on its own 7-0 run to trim the lead to four with just five minutes left in the game, but couldn’t come away with the win.
Sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles led USC with 13 points, three blocks and two steals. The rest of the starting lineup — seniors Nick Pringle (9), Myles Stute (8), Jamarii Thomas (11) and Jacobi Wright (10) — combined to add 36 points.
Xavier (6-0), freshly ranked this week, was the second Top 25 opponent for USC this season. USC suffered a double-digit road loss to then-No. 16 Indiana on Nov. 16.
Next up, USC takes on Virginia Tech on Wednesday in its final game of the Fort Myers Tipoff.
Here are three observations from South Carolina’s Monday loss:
Hard in the paint
The Gamecocks leaned into their physical defense, a cornerstone of their strategy on that side of the court this season. Facing Xavier’s Zach Freemantle, USC’s bigs were aggressive early — maybe too aggressive. Pringle picked up two fouls in the first three minutes of the game, while Murray-Boyles logged three before halftime.
Still, the early effort set the tone, even if foul trouble forced USC to adjust.
A new look
Pringle’s foul trouble shuffled the lineup, bringing sixth man Zach Davis into action earlier than usual. The adjustment pushed Murray-Boyles to center and created a more perimeter-focused offense — and it was effective.
A Stute three-pointer sparked a 17-0 Gamecock run, capped by smothering defense that forced Xavier into 0-of-10 shooting over 6:34 of game time. The Gamecocks showed different looks on defense that made it hard for Xavier ball-handlers to find space.
“I like the lineup that we had early in the game,” Paris said in his postgame radio interview. “We were attacking. We were drawing fouls. We were playing how we need to play.”
USC held Xavier — tied for first nationally in assists per game (21.8) and ranked second in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.27) — to just two assists and five turnovers in the first half.
Yet rebounding remains a glaring issue. Xavier dominated the boards 41-31, including a 12-4 edge in offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.
“A couple times ... we got punked, to be quite honest,” Paris said when asked about the offensive rebounding disparity.
Even with the success the lineup change had early on, it still limited certain aspects of the game like rebounding, which proved to be costly.
“Foul trouble got us, and aside from it affecting your rhythm, it affected who we had out there and what we were able to do during that stretch,” Paris said.
The Freemantle effect
Xavier’s Zach Freemantle was likely at the top of USC’s scouting report — and for good reason. He scored five of the Musketeers’ first seven points, putting them up 7-0 early.
It was when Freemantle came off the court in the first half that the Gamecocks went on that huge aforementioned run to take control of the game. When he came back in the game, Xavier responded with their own 8-0 run.
Xavier outscored the Gamecocks by 22 points overall with Freemantle on the court. He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Next four USC MBB games
- Wednesday vs. Virginia Tech – Fort Myers Tip-Off, 6 p.m. on FS1
- Dec. 3 at Boston College, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)
- Dec. 7 vs. East Carolina, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Dec. 14 vs. USC Upstate, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 10:48 PM.
