South Carolina looks to rebound against Missouri - again

The only difference was the days.

“I think we just got to take it one day at a time, we just got to move on from this game and come back tomorrow for practice and Monday, and just got to get that win on Tuesday,” senior Michael Carrera said after Saturday’s demolition from Kentucky.

Carrera could have been speaking about South Carolina’s loss to Alabama, Tennessee or Georgia. The Gamecocks’ mantra all year has been to not get wrapped up in the team’s success, and thus not feel too down after a defeat. The loss to the Wildcats didn’t feel pleasant, but once the dust settled, USC was in the same position it’s been since beginning 15-0.

The Gamecocks (21-4, 8-4 SEC) control their fate. They’re still in the thick of the SEC race, trailing LSU and Kentucky by one game with six to go. There are still plenty of opportunities to lock in their NCAA tournament hopes – by straight numbers, two more wins leave them with well over 20 victories and less than 10 losses after SEC tournament weekend.

It’s been a team that’s responded all year, never posting a two-game losing streak. On Tuesday, Missouri (9-16, 2-10) offers the same opportunity as it did on Jan. 16 – a chance to feel better.

The Gamecocks survived the Tigers 81-72 to get back in the win column after dropping their first game of the year, and USC is hoping for a repeat. Missouri’s circumstances haven’t changed – the Tigers are playing for nothing but pride since their season is over after the next six games. They snapped a nine-game losing streak last week against Tennessee.

USC will have to see how much it learned from the first game, and from what it did wrong against Kentucky. The Gamecocks were bad from the free-throw and 3-point lines against each team, and Missouri was faster than USC in the last game.

Playing without backup point guard Marcus Stroman, the Gamecocks were thin up top and couldn’t handle Wes Clark or the Tigers’ other drivers. Missouri shot nearly 50 percent, and senior Ryan Rosburg scored 12 points on a perfect shooting night.

The Gamecocks, who’ve since switched their post defense by starting Chris Silva over Laimonas Chatkevicius, will have to shut down Rosburg early and provide an obstacle in the paint. Rosburg scored on the same play every time – one-handed driving layup after posting up – and as the team’s only senior, he knows he’s done after six games. Perhaps that’s why he’s averaging 20.7 points over his last three.

The Gamecocks have two straight home games after Missouri. Their goals are still right in front of them.

It’s up to them to answer.

“You get knocked on the head and you get a black eye, you don’t run and hide or buy big sunglasses. You kind of walk around,” USC coach Frank Martin describing his team’s approach. “Continue to be proud of who you are.”