The Gamecocks showed promise in loss to No. 2 Auburn. Will it help get their mojo back?
As the Gamecocks pack their bags for a two-game road swing, there’s a spark of determination and renewed sense of urgency in the air.
South Carolina came agonizingly close to a monumental win over then-No. 2 Auburn, falling 66-63 in a game where the Gamecocks showed flashes of grit and promise.
“We need to get some wins on the board here soon,” Paris said. “You have to turn the page and get to the next thing because it’s such a good league.”
The Gamecocks didn’t just flirt with an upset — they made Auburn, arguably the best team in the nation, sweat.
After two Quad 1 SEC losses that were tough to watch (a combined 55-point deficit), South Carolina brought the fight the third time around. The physicality, defensive discipline and team chemistry were a refreshing shift from earlier performances.
“There are undoubtedly a lot of good things that we did,” Paris said. “Growth — it mandates that you respond properly to failures and obstacles. That’s what those things are for — to incite growth.”
Despite injuries sidelining two starters, the Gamecocks found production from unsung heroes ready to step up. Redshirt freshman Arden Conyers and senior Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk both provided valuable minutes off the bench, while sophomore Morris Ugusuk has stepped up in the starting lineup.
Sure, Auburn came out on top, but this felt like a different South Carolina team. From Collin Murray-Boyles retaking his place as the go-to offensive option to the team’s relentless energy, there was a palpable shift.
“I’m just talking about the totality of what we did out there as a unit,” Paris said. “How they interacted, how they moved, how they communicated, how they fed off of one another, like all those things, really close.
“If you can bottle that type of thing up, you’re going to win on most of the days that you perform as a shooter reasonably.”
The timing couldn’t be better for the Gamecocks to find their stride. Next up are road games against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — teams that have stumbled to a combined 1-5 SEC record. The door is wide open for South Carolina to snag that elusive Quad 1 conference victory.
Looking ahead, Paris understands the stakes.
The SEC gauntlet offers little reprieve, and a failure to capitalize on this road trip could make the path to postseason play even steeper.
Will the Auburn game be the moment South Carolina needed to find its way?
“Hopefully, as we move forward again, we can turn the page,” Paris said. “They can file it away and use it as the benchmark.”
What channel is the South Carolina game on?
- Who: South Carolina (10-6, 0-3 SEC) at Vanderbilt (13-3, 1-2 SEC)
- When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
- Where: Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee
- TV Network: SEC Network
- Stream: Via ESPN app and ESPN.com
- Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area (See see full radio affiliate list here)
