Gamecocks race past Lipscomb, improve to 6-0

Perhaps it was to be expected, playing three games in four days and then dealing with a long plane ride home, a heavy Thanksgiving meal and a mostly empty arena for a 2 p.m. game the day after.

So South Carolina was more than happy to accept a 92-76 win over Lipscomb Friday, accept congratulations for improving to 6-0 – and vow to get much, much better before the next game.

“I’m actually relieved it’s over and happy that we figured out a way to win,” coach Frank Martin said. “They’re a pretty good basketball team and we were, for the first time all year, just absolutely embarrassing in practice the last two days.”

The Bisons (3-5) ran, screened, stole and rained 3-pointers over the flustered Gamecocks for most of the first half, until a technical foul on Josh Williams stretched USC’s lead to seven and spurred the Gamecocks to a 51-40 halftime lead. Lipscomb didn’t let up, but USC began to be more patient and work its variety of weapons – namely, give big man Laimonas Chatkevicius the ball, let Duane Notice continue to impact every possession and pass the ball so the defense can’t lock on one player.

USC put six in double figures, led by 17 from Chatkevicius, who was 7-of-7 from the field and is playing the best basketball of his career. The Gamecocks had four players with at least five assists, including five from Justin McKie, who subbed into the game early and sparked USC with six points.

Lipscomb came out firing in the second half but fouls and the athleticism of freshman Chris Silva began to turn the tide. Silva, who fought through leg cramps to again protect the rim and score 12 points, pushed the Gamecocks to a double-digit lead for most of the period.

USC has shot 50 percent or better from the field for three straight games, something not done since 2003-04. The year is getting brought up a lot lately – the Gamecocks are also on their best start since then, which ended in the NCAA tournament.

USC was glad for the win but players realize there’s a lot more to do before they can even talk about what could be ahead.

“Practices were kind of slow, and it took time to get our momentum going in practice,” Chatkevicius said. “At the end, we kind of got better.”

Martin was a bit more succinct.

“Our defense absolutely stinks right now,” he said.

NOTE: Sophomore guard Marcus Stroman did not play with a left outside quad strain.

TURNING POINT

Lipscomb was still hanging around, down five with just under 15 minutes to play. The Bisons had their plan in place despite foul trouble.

They missed nine straight field goals as USC went on an 11-2 run.

3 POINTS

Star of the game: Chatkevicius continues to dominate inside, scoring on one-handed hook shots that are giving him more and more confidence. He didn’t miss a shot and had one steal, one assist and one block.

Play of the game: P.J. Dozier may not be scoring in bunches, but his talent as a point guard is on display. Facing two Lipscomb defenders on either side of the paint on a fast break, Dozier flipped the ball up, palmed it down hard between them and let Mindaugas Kacinas finish the layup.

Stat of the game: USC had 24 assists on 34 field goals. Sindarius Thornwell had six.

FROM THE BASELINE

Schedule-maker: A 2 p.m. game after Thanksgiving following nearly a week-long stay in the Virgin Islands might not have been the best idea. The Gamecocks were fighting dead legs all game.

Sin-sational?: Thornwell continues to play very well all over the court, even if he’s not scoring. Still, he was 0-for-5 from the field and only had two points on Friday. Is that a cause for concern?

UP NEXT

Who: South Carolina vs. Western Carolina

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Where: Colonial Life Arena

TV: SEC Network

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Gamecocks race past Lipscomb, improve to 6-0."