South Carolina MBB keeps it close, drops SEC finale at No. 4 Tennessee. Three takeaways
South Carolina’s season has been a story of “almosts,” and the season finale was no different.
The Gamecocks (12-19, 2-16 SEC) nearly snagged their first SEC road win, giving No. 4 Tennessee all it could handle before falling 75-65 in Knoxville on Saturday.
Tennessee (25-6, 12-6 SEC) led for nearly the entire game. It was a single-digit game until the Volunteers found their groove in the second half and extended their lead to 12, putting the game out of reach. The Vols shot 55%.
Jamarii Thomas led USC in scoring with 20 points and four assists. Nick Pringle added a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Collin Murray-Boyles had seven points and three rebounds in 26 minutes.
Vols start hot, Gamecocks start... not
Tennessee wasted no time heating up, draining 10 of its first 16 shots (63%) and jumping out to a 23-13 lead. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, couldn’t buy a bucket, opening 3 for 15 (20%) from the field.
The Vols also rained 3-pointers early, sinking three from deep in the first six minutes, while USC struggled to find its footing. But if this season has taught us anything, it’s that South Carolina doesn’t go down without a fight.
USC battles back
This game looked nothing like last year’s matchup, when both teams were ranked and battling for an SEC title. This time, Tennessee was playing for a double-bye in the conference tournament, while USC was simply playing for pride.
But you wouldn’t have known it from the way the Gamecocks clawed back. Down 10, they ripped off a 15-4 run to take their first lead — fueled entirely by Thomas and Pringle. Thomas splashed a pair of threes, Pringle hammered home a dunk and an and-one. And suddenly, it was a brand-new ballgame.
By halftime, the scoreboard read 34-34.
Vols too much in the end
The most impressive part of USC run was that the Gamecocks made that first-half rally without much from Murray-Boyles, who had just one point and one rebound before the break. Thomas, Pringle, and Arden Conyers combined for 29 first-half points, carrying the load to keep the Gamecocks in it.
But eventually, Tennessee did what top teams do. After an early second-half slump, the Vols caught fire, drilling six straight shots in a decisive 16-4 run. Chaz Lanier was the ringleader, dropping 12 points in that stretch — including a pair of daggers from beyond the arc.
Another quick 8-2 burst stretched Tennessee’s lead to 12, its largest of the day, and that was all she wrote. Tennessee shot 59% in the second half, while USC shot 35% in the period (and overall in the game).
On to the SEC Tournament.
Next USC game
- vs. Arkansas, Wednesday at SEC Tournament in Nashville, 1 p.m..
This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 4:11 PM.
