South Carolina MBB routs Arkansas at home, picks up second SEC win. 3 observations
Someone clearly spiked the Gamecocks’ water cooler with some winning potion. The Gamecocks, who have been the SEC’s punching bag this season, are suddenly throwing some serious haymakers of their own.
South Carolina (12-17, 2-14 SEC) dominated Arkansas 72-53 at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday afternoon to pick up its second league win.
“Really happy for the guys to play well and to have two consecutive games in this building that we played really well in a way that we were able to reap the rewards of it,” USC head coach Lamont Paris said.
Arkansas (17-12, 6-10 SEC) finished shooting 28.8% from the field, including 3 of 22 from 3-point range. The Gamecocks led the entire game and by as many as 35.
Collin Murray-Boyles led all scorers with a career-high 35 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Nick Pringle added 18 points and nine rebounds.
Ugly shooting
When James Naismith created the game of basketball, he likely didn’t have this performance in mind. Arkansas started 1 of 17 (5.9%) from the field. By the time the Razorbacks made their next shot, they were already down big on the scoreboard.
That’s because South Carolina was hot out of the gate. The Gamecocks fired off 8 of 14 (57.1%) from the floor and opened up an early 18-3 lead.
Then came the inevitable dry spell — South Carolina missed nine straight shots. But hey, they weren’t alone in that department. For a solid stretch in the first half, both teams combined to shoot a lovely 1 of 15.
At the break, Arkansas had connected on just three shots for a pitiful 12.5% mark. USC wasn’t exactly lighting it up either, finishing at 41.9%. But the Gamecocks still led 32-14 headed to the halftime locker room.
“We played very great defense in the first half,” Pringle said. “14 points, that’s amazing. I wish we could stack two halves together to do that. That would have been sick. But I’m definitely happy with our effort tonight.”
Getting it done in the trenches
It’s like the Texas win injected newfound energy into the Gamecocks’ legs. They were everywhere defensively — forcing nine turnovers in the first half alone, and turning those mistakes into 11 points before halftime.
“You don’t accidentally, defensively, have a performance like that,” Paris said. “It takes energy. It takes commitment. It takes tremendous effort. That’s what these guys are doing right now.”
The Gamecocks might not have been sizzling from the field, but they were getting it done where it counts: Down low. Playing inside out seems to be their secret weapon again, as evidenced by their 20 points in the paint in the first half alone.
“That was a point of emphasis in this game,” Paris said. “It’s been who we are most of the season. It starts from the inside for us generally. But just in this game, with a couple of matchups, we specifically said we’re not going to fool around.”
Murray-Boyles was the primary beneficiary of this strategy over the last couple games, but Pringle was added to that equation Saturday. He thrived in the paint, adding eight points and five rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
USC outscored Arkansas 38-18 in the paint.
Stuck in the SEC basement?
After starting SEC play 0-13, it looked like South Carolina was destined to finish at the bottom of the standings. Now? Well, there’s a faint glimmer of hope.
The Gamecocks’ win over Arkansas puts them in position to potentially avoid the cellar of the SEC standings. To pull that off, here’s the blueprint:
- Win both of their final games (against Georgia and at No. 5 Tennessee)
- Hope LSU loses each of its last three games (at No. 24 Mississippi State, at No. 17 Kentucky, vs. No. 12 Texas A&M)
Is it likely? Eh, not exactly. But the fact that South Carolina even has a shot at it? That’s worth noting.
Schedule: Upcoming games
- Tuesday: vs. Georgia, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
- March 8: at Tennessee, 2 p.m. (SEC Network)
- March 12: SEC Tournament game, details TBD
This story was originally published March 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
